加工处理散粒物料时通常会产生并散发粉尘。有些加工作业过程,例如将麦子磨成面粉,所产生的粉尘浓度可能很高。其他作业过程,诸如将煤倾卸入溜槽或运到输送机上所造成的粉尘问题虽然不很严重,但还会产生大量的微细粒子。粉尘引起的问题,视加工处理的物质而异。如果是贵重物质,粉尘会引起可观的经济损失;若是有害物质,粉尘会危害健康;第三种情况是微细物料可能构成爆炸事故。令人意外的是,许多通常认为是非爆炸性的物质,如阿斯匹林、可可、大多数金属、木材和糖,在微粒状态下很可能发生爆炸。如 Dust is usually generated and emitted when processing bulk materials. Some processing operations, such as milling wheat into flour, may produce very high levels of dust. Other operating processes, such as the dusting problem caused by dumping coal into a chute or onto a conveyor, are not serious but generate large quantities of fine particles. The problems caused by dust, depending on the processing of materials vary. In the case of valuables, dust can cause considerable economic losses; in the case of hazardous substances, dust can be hazardous to health; and in the third case, fine materials can constitute an explosion. Surprisingly, many of the substances that are generally considered non-explosive, such as aspirin, cocoa, most metals, wood and sugar, are likely to explode in the particulate state. Such as