{"id":1599,"date":"2026-07-17T08:33:45","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T08:33:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climntech.com\/?p=1599"},"modified":"2026-07-17T08:33:45","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T08:33:45","slug":"static-electricity-and-atex","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climntech.com\/en\/electricite-statique-et-atex\/","title":{"rendered":"Static Electricity and ATEX: How Adiabatic Cooling Reduces Explosion Risk"},"content":{"rendered":"

In an ATEX-certified environment, every potential ignition source deserves rigorous attention. Static electricity is one of them, and HSE managers too often underestimate it. Yet, a single uncontrolled electrostatic discharge can be enough to ignite an explosive atmosphere. What many don't realize is that adiabatic cooling doesn't just protect operators from heat. By its very nature, it also works to reduce the electrostatic risk. Explanations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Static electricity: a persistent physical hazard in ATEX zones<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Static electricity is born from the contact and separation of two materials. When an electron leaves the surface of one body to join another, an electrical potential difference is established. This phenomenon, called triboelectricity, occurs constantly in industrial environments. This can include the passage of a liquid through a pipe, an operator moving on an insulating floor, or the emptying of a bulk bag of powder or the friction of a conveyor belt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taken on their own, these charge transfers are imperceptible and harmless. However, if the charges accumulate (on ungrounded metallic equipment, on insulating materials, or on the operator themselves), they reach a threshold from which they are suddenly released in the form of a spark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an explosive atmosphere, this spark can trigger inflammation. This is the scenario of an electrostatic accident: discreet in its origin, brutal in its consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most common risk situations in an industrial environment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Among the operations that most commonly generate dangerous electrostatic discharges are petroleum liquid transfers, tank cleaning, powder spills in flammable atmospheres, and the use of non-conductive solvents in installations with isolated metal parts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The human factor also plays a direct role. An operator equipped with insulating soles, working on non-conductive ground in an ATEX zone, can accumulate static charges and become a source of ignition themselves if they touch a non-equipotential conductive surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In industries with a high risk of combustible dust (grain silos, pharmaceuticals, sugar industry, wood processing), the electrostatic risk is coupled with the risk of dust explosion. Suspended dust has a minimum ignition energy sometimes less than 10 millijoules: values that common electrostatic discharges easily reach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Air Humidity and Static Electricity: A Direct Physical Link<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is where adiabatic cooling comes in unexpectedly, and particularly valuable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The INRS explicitly recommends humidifying the atmosphere to avoid promoting the buildup of electrical charges in environments at risk of explosion. This recommendation is based on a well-established physical mechanism: air humidity increases the surface conductivity of materials. It facilitates the flow of charges to the ground instead of allowing them to accumulate until disruptive discharge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In practical terms: dry air with a relative humidity of 20 % promotes electrostatic buildup. Air with a relative humidity of 60 % or higher dissipates charges much more quickly. This is why electrostatic accidents occur more frequently in winter (cold, dry air) and in air-conditioned industrial environments without humidification\u2014two conditions that drastically lower the relative humidity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adiabatic cooling: a built-in antistatic benefit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The principle of adiabatic cooling is based on passing hot air through a constantly humidified porous medium. The evaporation of water in this medium lowers the air temperature by 7\u00b0C to 12\u00b0C and simultaneously increases its relative humidity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not an anecdotal side effect. It's a direct and measurable physical benefit: by humidifying the air at the workstation, the adiabatic cooler acts precisely where INRS recommends acting to reduce electrostatic risk. It continuously dissipates static charges without any additional devices, solely through its normal operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In sectors where the air is naturally very dry (pharmaceutical packaging rooms, powder storage areas, logistics warehouses with metal roofs in summer), this controlled humidification effect provides a safety value that conventional ventilation systems cannot offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You manage an ATEX site and want to simultaneously address thermal comfort and electrostatic risk?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contact the ClimnTech team for a study tailored to your area.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why are standard equipment doubly unsuitable in ATEX zones?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Faced with electrostatic risk and heat in ATEX zones, employers must meet two simultaneous imperatives: thermally protect their operators and not introduce a new ignition source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A standard industrial fan partially solves the first problem. But its unprotected electric motor itself constitutes a risk of electric arc in an explosive atmosphere. It therefore aggravates the second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A conventional mobile air conditioner is even worse: compressor, contactors, defrosting resistors, ... So many components likely to generate arcs or hot surfaces exceeding authorized ATEX temperature classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answer isn't choosing between comfort and safety. It's equipping yourself with devices designed for both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ClimnTech's Expertise: ATEX Zone 1 Certification as a Market Benchmark<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

ClimnTech is among the very few manufacturers to offer certified adiabatic coolers for the most demanding ATEX zones. The II 2G IIB T4 Gb marking on each unit guarantees safe use in Zone 1 and Zone 2 for gaseous atmospheres, with a maximum surface temperature maintained at 135 \u00b0C. Well below the ignition thresholds of the most common industrial products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The international IECEx certification complements European ATEX compliance for deployments outside the European Union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three elements distinguish ClimnTech coolers in electrostatic discharge (ESD) risk environments:<\/p>\n\n\n\n