WOODS CROSS, Utah -- City leaders will meet with the public to talk about last week's Silver Eagle refinery explosion that rocked a neighborhood, forced four families out of their homes and damaged possibly 120 houses.

A six member team from the US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) was deployed to the accident site.

The CSB's Donald Holmstrom said investigators don't know why the pipe suffered what he called a "catastrophic" failure.

Until the source of the failure is known, there is always the danger that more failures could occur.

It is critical to understand what happened and to be able to check out the existing plant piping.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. Last week, Ford Motor Co. went to a third shift at the Claycomo plant to crank out more of the strong-selling Ford Escape SUVs. In January, the General Motors Fairfax facility will add a third shift, producing the popular Chevrolet Malibu and the new Buick LaCrosse.

Inaco Automation Controls, a specialist industrial automation and controls distributor, and Zone Safety Systems, an Australian manufacturer of industrial safety guarding systems have announced a new distribution alliance in Australia.

New hose material avoids issues associated with transporting powdered foodstuffs

Trelleborg Industrial Hose, part of Trelleborg Engineered Systems, launches a new compound for food hoses that prevents the accelerated wear usually associated with static dissipation when transferring powdered foodstuffs. Following extensive laboratory tests and in applications with end-users, Trelleborg Industrial Hose can offer a white food grade compound that is conductive enough to dissipate static electrical charges according to ISO 8031 while meeting the requirements of FDA 21 CFR 177.2600. Critical tests with sugar have given outstanding results, proving the service life of the hose is increased tenfold when compared to a non-conductive white food grade hose New hose material avoids issues associated with transporting powdered foodstuffs

Trelleborg Industrial Hose, part of Trelleborg Engineered Systems , launches a new compound for food hoses that prevents the accelerated wear usually associated with static dissipation when transferring powdered foodstuffs. Following extensive laboratory tests and in applications with end-users, Trelleborg Industrial Hose can offer a white food grade compound that is conductive enough to dissipate static electrical charges according to ISO 8031 while meeting the requirements of FDA 21 CFR 177.2600. Critical tests with sugar have given outstanding results, proving the service life of the hose is increased tenfold when compared to a non-conductive white food grade hose.

“One of the main reasons for failure of rubber hoses used for transfer of powders is electrical sparks,” says Ludovic Dumoulin, Development Engineer for Trelleborg Industrial Hose. “Electrical charges created by powder particles during transfer can reach extreme levels depending on the media being processed and its speed of transfer. These charges will attempt to dissipate and if the hose acts as an insulator, the electrical charges will rupture the molecular chains of the rubber hose. This diminishes the elastic quality of the rubber hoses, reducing abrasion resistance and accelerating wear of the hoses.”

The common black hoses used for non-food powders are conductive and can therefore dissipate electrical charges effectively along their structure or to the ground. However, white rubber is usually preferred for transfer of food products and to meet food regulations, such as those of the Food Directives Agency (FDA) in the US, there are strict limitations on the type of ingredients used in rubber compounds. Most of those that usually make rubber conductive are restricted for use in contact with food stuffs. This means that the life of white hoses transferring food stuffs is significantly lowered.
The new white rubber compound from Trelleborg Industrial Hose is conductive enough to dissipate static electrical charges according to ISO 8031 while meeting the requirements of FDA 21 CFR 177.2600. It is proven to give extended life in powdered food processing applications.

The new white compound is available in two hose types, each with a black outer protective cover:
- SUPERVRAC for bulk tank truck unloading
- TRELLVAC for either stationary or mobile vacuum systems
In addition, as the hoses are conductive through the hose itself, its cover and in between, they can safely be used in an explosive atmosphere environment meeting the European Union ATEX directive, provided the usual earthing safety measures are taken.