Hazardous Areas

Introduction to Purge and Pressurization

Comark utilizes purge and pressurization as the method of protection for hazardous area locations to ensure that the interior of an electrical enclosure is free of flammable gas or combustible dust and fibers. Pressurization is generally used for electrical equipment that cannot be protected by other means, either because it is too large to be made explosion-proof, or too high-powered to use intrinsic safety.

Purge controlled and pressurized enclosures provide an equivalent degree of safety to Flameproof (Explosion-proof) or Intrinsic Safety techniques. It also offers significant advantages of safety and durability. The pressurization process is very simple. Purge gas, normally compressed air, keeps the internal pressure of an enclosure above the pressure outside. External flammable gas cannot enter the enclosure while it is pressurized.

Before power can be switched on, the enclosure must be purged to remove any flammable gas that my have entered the enclosure before it was pressurized. Purging is the action of replacing the air inside an enclosure with air known to be free of flammable gas.

Applications where purge kits can be used include:

  • Pharmaceutical manufacturing
  • Oil and gas production
  • Chemical processes
  • Petroleum industry
  • Refineries and terminals
  • Paint users and manufacturers
  • Original equipment manufacturers
  • Dusty environments
  • Powder, fiber, and related manufacturing processes

Products shown below can be purge protected to meet your needs

Hazardous Locations Chart
IEC/EN (ATEX) ATEX Cat. Code USA (NEC500) FM & UL Canada (CEC) CSA Gas Dust
Protection Method Ex code Gas Ex code Dust
Intrinsic Safety ia
ib
ic
60079-11
60079-11
60079-11
Zone 0
Zone 1
Zone 2
iaD
ibD
61241-11
61241-11
Zone 20
Zone 21
1
2
3
IS FM3610/UL913 C22.2 No 157 Class I, Div 1 Class II, Div 1
Flameproof d 60079-1 Zone 1       2 XP FM3615/UL1203 C22.2 No 30 Class I, Div 1 Class II, Div 1
Enclosure       tD 61241-1 Zone 20, 21, 22     FM3611/UL1604 C22.2 No 25   Class II, Div 2
Purge & Pressurization px
py
pz
60079-2
60079-2
60079-2
Zone 1
Zone 1
Zone 2
      2
2
3
Type X
Type Y
Type Z
FM3620/NFPA 496
FM3620/NFPA 496
FM3620/NFPA 496
CSA TIL 13A
CSA TIL 13A
CSA TIL 13A
Class I, Div 1
Class I, Div 1
Class I, Div 2
Class II, Div 1
Class II, Div 1
Class II, Div 2
Pressurized       pD 61241-4 Zone 21,22 2 X, Y, Z As above      
Increased Safety e 60079-7 Zone 1                  
Encapsulation ma
mb
60079-18
60079-18
Zone 0
Zone 1
maD
mbD
61241-18
61241-18
Zone 20
Zone 21
1
2
  UL1604 C22.2 No. 213 Class I, Div 2  
Oil Immersion o 60079-6 Zone 1       2          
Powder Filled q 60079-5 Zone 1       2          
Non Incendive nA, nC, nL, nR 60079-15 Zone 2       3 NI FM3611/UL1604 C22.2 No. 213 Class I, Div 2  
Rooms (draft) p 60079-13 Zone 1       2   NFPA 496      
Optical Radiation oP 60079-28 Zone 0       1          
General Requirements   60079-0     61241-0       NEC 500-3      
Class. Of Hazardous Areas   60079-1                    
Electrical Installations   60079-14                    
Inspection & Maintenance   60079-17                    
Gas Groupings
Gas, Dust, or Fiber IEC/Europe Canada (CEC) USA NEC (505) Canada (CEC) USA NEC (500)
Acetylene Group IIC Class I, Group IIC Class I, Group A
Hydrogen Class I, Group B
Ethylene Group IIB Class I, Group IIB Class I, Group C
Propane Group IIA Class I, Group IIA Class I, Group D
Methane Group I   Not within CEC/NEC
Metal Dust     Class II, Group E (Div 1 only)
Coal Dust     Class II, Group F
Grain     Class II, Group G
Fibers     Class III
IEC/ATEX Dust
Dust Temp °C (Cloud) Temp °C (Layer)
Cellulose 520 410
Coal 380 225
Cocoa Powder 580 480
Flour 490 340
Grain 510 300
Polythene 420 Melts
Sugar 460 435
Tea 510 300

Available Purge Kits

The 9400 (Right) shown with Top and Side Mount Purge Kits.