Key Terms

Adjacent area: Any area within twenty feet of a vapor area that is not separated from the vapor area by tight partitions.

Atomized discharge: The powerful explosion that results from pulsing a high magnitude electrical discharge through a sample of water.

Autoignition temperature: The minimum temperature required to cause self-sustained combustion without any other source of heat.

Combustible liquid: A liquid with a flash point of 100°F or greater.

Dip tank: A container holding a liquid other than plain water which is used for dipping or coating. An object may be immersed (or partially immersed) in a dip tank or it may be suspended in a vapor coming from the tank.

Electrostatic detearing: Detearing is the process for removing excess, wet coating material from the bottom edge of a dipped or coated object or material. Electrostatic detearing removes the tear-shaped drops that form on dipped objects.

Flammable liquid: Any liquid having a flashpoint at or below 199.4°F.

Flashpoint: A flashpoint is the temperature at which a liquid gives off enough flammable vapors to form a mixture with air that can be ignited by contact with a hot surface, spark, or flame.

Lower flammable limit (LFL): The lowest concentration of a material that will propagate a flame. The LFL is usually expressed as a percent by volume of the material in air (or other oxidant).

Reasonably available control technology (RACT): The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines RACT as the lowest emission limitation a particular source is capable of meeting by the application of control technology. The control technology must be reasonably available considering technological and economic feasibility.

Vapor area: Any area in the vicinity of dip tanks, their drain boards, or other equipment associated with drying or conveying where the vapor concentration could exceed 25 percent of the lower flammable limit (LFL) for the liquid in the tank.

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