Phosphating Depositions for Equipment’s Used in Explosive Atmospheres

Abstract

According to the ATEX directive, any personal protective equipment or work equipment intended to be used in a potentially explosive area must be made of materials that cannot be the source of mechanical or static electricity-related sparks. The carbon steel is one of the most widely used metallic materials, but the possibility of using it in the manufacture of equipment used in explosive environments is low. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to present an alternative solution to use metal equipment in potentially explosive atmospheres, by depositing a phosphate layer on the surface of the carbon steel. The metal was coated by a simple process, the metal being immersed in a phosphating solution based on zinc. Due to the properties of zinc phosphate deposited on the steel surface, especially electrical insulating, the steel coated with this type of layer can be used in explosive atmosphere.