Static Electricity - Hazard?

**tl_3237** · February 23rd, 2008, 01:50 PM

With winter comes the increase of static electricity. I’ve been reloading for many decades and never thought about it before but while reloading recently had a few static discharge sparks when I touched a grounded outlet. It got me to thinking if there is a potential hazard from static discharge while I am handling powder/primers.

I’ve never seen anything written in reloading manuals nor have I ever seen any discussions on it.

Anyone out there take static discharge precautions? Seen any literature on the issue? Heard of any untoward events because of a discharge?

Does anyone ground their reloading bench? Wear a grounded wristband?

**JoeWilliams** · February 23rd, 2008, 02:26 PM

I always touch something metal, or better yet my son

, before handling primers or powder.

**Guy Fawkes** · February 23rd, 2008, 02:41 PM

Re: Static Electricity - Hazard?

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I always touch something metal, or better yet my son , before handling primers or powder.

Good advice, will work every time.

**Farbmeister** · February 23rd, 2008, 03:12 PM

No and No

Anything will burn if hot enough.

**knight0334** · February 23rd, 2008, 04:01 PM

Only with blackpowder do you really have to worry about static. Especially the finer grade powders.

**Joeg52** · February 23rd, 2008, 04:32 PM

Here is an interesting experiment with static electricity and black powder...
http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_...ks/sparks.html

**mauser** · February 23rd, 2008, 06:04 PM

Thanks for the post. That deserves rep. +5 to you.

Now I'm off to my work shop to try to do a similar experiment . Don't ask why, that's just the way I am.

**Bib** · February 24th, 2008, 10:36 AM

I'd have thought that gunpowder,especially black powder would be more sensitive to static. Gasoline vapors are REALLY dangerous when static is present. Watch this little vid.....how many times do you see someone get back into their vehicle when pumping gas?.....or maybe you've done it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVJcECrGevI&NR=1

**wryekid** · February 24th, 2008, 12:12 PM

Hmmmm, I wonder if she gets Full Service now???

**Shalom** · February 26th, 2008, 08:06 PM

Hi there,

The issue is simple: every material has a certain energy threshold at which it becomes ‘active’. Different material have different ways of becoming active. When dealing with propellants from black powder to rocket fuel, the activity is a burn, and since the process extracts heat (exothermic) we get the fast burn that propels the bullet.

The issue is bringing the energy level sufficiently high, and because of the exothermic nature of the material, it requires operation only on a small amount of the material, which starts the chain reaction.

There are materials (like black powder that someone mentioned, and other good conductors) that will not respond to things like a static spark.
However other materials will. Examples include many nitrocellulose based materials that are more or less sensitive. Different types of lead based initiators, e.g. lead styphnate and lead azide (and of-course mercury fulminate, if for any bizarre reason you decide to use it…) that will indeed ignite violently due to a relatively small static discharge.

Static discharge carried on a person does not normally contain a lot of energy. While the voltages easily get as high as 55,000 volts, and when the humidity is below about 17% we have measured 97,000V, it is still a low energy discharge. However when applied to a small grain, or a protrusion in the surface of a primer for example, it can cause havoc. So I would suggest that static discharge steps should become standard procedures, especially when dealing with primers.

My name is Shalom Wertsberger. I am a member of the NFPA anti-static committee, and I own a company called StaticOff - www.staticoff.com - that developed a simple solution to static discharge.

It has a simple product that replaces the common lightswitch coverplate, and have circuitry to safely and painlessly discharges a person at a simple touch. While I would still recommend all the standard anti-static procedures, touching the StaticOff plate can be a decent first step, and it’s under $10. Remember that the switch must be grounded to work, and I would recommend that all your gear will be as well. And grounding to your son is not really a good solution – all you did is halve the charge, but you can cause a spark at anything more than 3000V.

Sure, it is self promotion, but the risk does exist and the solution is good for the basement where you reload, as well as for your home.

Shalom