Handbook of Explosion Prevention and Protection

The new definitive reference in the field.

Between them, the renowned team of editors and authors have amassed unparalleled experience at such institutes as BAM, PTB, Pittsburgh National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety, BASF AG, and the University of Göttingen. In this work—the first of its kind for 35 years—they describe in detail those measures that prevent or limit industrial explosions and the damage so caused. They cover various preventative methods, as well as the current state of technology combined with data gained through experimentation.

This handbook offers operational, planning, design and safety engineers working in industry, government agencies and professional associations in-depth knowledge of the scientific and technical basics, allowing them to apply explosion protection according to any given situation.

Dr. Martin Hattwig studied chemistry at the University of Göttingen. In 1966, he obtained his doctor’s degree at the Institute of Physical Chemistry with a thesis on the one-stage cool flame of methyl-ethyl-ether. From 1966 on, he worked at the Federal Institute for Research and Testing Materials (BAM) as a scientific collaborator of Prof. Heinrich, and became head of the laboratory “Explosion dynamics” in 1969. His main fields of activity were the venting of explosions, detonations of gaseous systems, and safe handling of degreasing solvents. Since 1989 he also participated extensively in European standardization and legislation concerning explosion safety. From 1983 to 2001 he was head of the division “Heterogeneous Combustion Reactions” at BAM.

Dr.-Ing. Henrikus Steen studied Thermodynamics and Chemical Engineering at the Technical University of Braunschweig. From 1965, he worked as scientific collaborator of Karl Nabert and Prof. Gerhard Schön at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig. He occupied himself with all problems of safety techniques, especially with explosion prevention and protection when handling flammable liquids. 1973 he obtained his doctor’s degree from the Technische Hochschule Aachen with a thesis on the vaporization in spray jets. Also in 1973, he became head of laboratory “Flammable Liquids” at the PTB. In 1980, he became head of the division “Fundamentals of Physical Safety techniques” at the PTB, and from 1989 to 1995, he headed the Department “Chemical Safety Techniques” at the Federal Institute of Materials Research and Testing (BAM), Berlin.