Nonconductive liquids charge

The electrostatic behavior of intrinsically nonconductive substances, such as most pure thermoplastics and saturated hydrocarbons, is generally governed by chemical species regarded as trace contaminants. These are components that are not deliberately added and which may be present at less than detectable concentrations. Since charge separation occurs at interfaces, both the magnitude and polarity of charge transfer can be determined by contaminants that are surface active. This is particularly important for nonconductive liquids, where the electrostatic behavior can be governed by contaminants present at much less than 1 ppm (2-1.3). 

Nonohmic behavior is pronounced for nonconductive liquids in plastic tanks, whose dielectric walls further complicate the charge decay rate [206]. 

The hyperbolic relaxation equation (A-5-2.4.1 a) contains charge carrier mobility as a variable, which should be sensitive to oil viscosity. This is found to be the case for some viscous nonconductive liquids. These have much slower rates of charge dissipation equivalent to an Ohmic liquid whose conductivity is 0.02 pS/m (5-2.5.4). 

For many years the petroleum industry has defined nonconductive liquids as having conductivities less than 50 pS/m. A higher value of 100 pS/m is used here to address the higher dielectric constants of certain flammable chemicals in relation to petroleum products. For example the dielectric constant of ethyl ether is 4.6 versus 2.3 for benzene from Eq. (2-3.2), ethyl ether therefore has the same relaxation time at a conductivity of 100 pS/m as benzene at a conductivity of 50 pS/m. It is the relaxation time, not the conductivity alone, that determines the rate of loss of charge hence the same logic that makes 50 pS/m appropriate for identifying nonconductive hydrocarbons makes 100 pS/m appropriate for identifying nonconductive chemical products. 

Various theoretical and empirical models have been derived expressing either charge density or charging current in terms of flow characteristics such as pipe diameter d (m) and flow velocity v (m/s). Liquid dielectric and physical properties appear in more complex models. The application of theoretical models is often limited by the nonavailability or inaccuracy of parameters needed to solve the equations. Empirical models are adequate in most cases. For turbulent flow of nonconductive liquid through a given pipe under conditions where the residence time is long compared with the relaxation time, it is found that the volumetric charge density Qy attains a steady-state value which is directly proportional to flow velocity... 

Where this equation is applied to different nonconductive liquids in different pipes, the polarity of the generated charge may change unpredictably and the proportionality constant a may vary over about an order of magnitude depending on conditions. The charging current Iq is the product of... 

A-5-3.5). Exceptionally large charge densities, up to about 5000/rC/m may be generated by viscous nonconductive liquids (5-2.5.4). 

Mesh strainers finer than 100 mesh/inch (<150 /rm) should be treated as microfilters. Coarser strainers up to 50 mesh/inch (300 /rm) may generate significant static when fouled with accumulated debris, so should be treated as microfilters except in cases where fouling is not expected or may be rapidly identified by either periodic inspection or monitored pressure drop. Clean strainers should nevertheless be placed as far upstream as practical for nonconductive liquid service. A theoretical model for the charging process in strainers (screens) is given in [119-120]. Viscous nonconductive liquids (5-2.5.4) may produce unusually high charging currents in strainers. 

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