Myths and Truth About CROHMIQ

Myth: Some materials dissipate static electricity faster than CROHMIQ.
Truth: Rate of dissipation is not a determinant of the effectiveness of static protection. CROHMIQ fabric is designed to dissipate static electricity in a controlled manner to avoid hazardous discharges. The true measure of a Type D fabric is its ability to dissipate electrostatic charge safely without being grounded and without igniting flammable powders or solvents. For CROHMIQ this is not only proven by extensive independent testing according to the latest and most rigorous international standards, but also by the long history of safety provided by CROHMIQ in industry's most challenging environments. In 15 years since its invention, CROHMIQ fabric has been used in packaging over 40 billion pounds of chemicals without any incident of fire or explosion.

Myth: D+ or CD bags are better than CROHMIQ because they can be used as Type C or Type D.
Truth: In order to dissipate static electricity at a safe rate, Type C FIBC must have a resistance to ground of less than 108 Ω. This has always been the performance characteristic that defines Type C FIBC and it is written into national and international standards. Plants that use Type C often have interlock systems on their bag stations that prevent the contents emptying unless a proper ground connection is in place with a resistance less than 108 Ω. All D+ or CD products have a resistance much higher than 108 Ω. They cannot be used on interlocked systems and do not provide the safety of true Type C FIBC. Manufacturers of D+ and CD bags specify that their bags should be grounded to eliminate the risk of causing explosions. If bags need to be grounded to be safe they are not true Type D FIBC. Unlike CROHMIQ FIBC, D+ and CD bags do not provide full safety when ungrounded and do not meet the requirements for Type C when grounded. It is, therefore, clear that D+ and CD bags are inferior to CROHMIQ FIBC and true Type C FIBC. This is why international standards written by leading safety experts do not recognize D+ or CD bags as being safe.

Myth: It is a mistake to ground CROHMIQ FIBC.
Truth: CROHMIQ FIBC are designed and engineered to be safe without the need for a ground connection. However, there is no hazard if a ground connection is made to a CROHMIQ FIBC.

Myth: CROHMIQ fabric has a special antistatic coating and will not function safely uncoated.
Truth: CROHMIQ fabric has a regular polypropylene/polyethylene coating. The static protective properties of CROHMIQ are inherent to the base fabric and both coated and uncoated fabric provides equal static protection. Coated CROHMIQ fabric is used in applications requiring the functional barrier that a coating provides. Uncoated CROHMIQ fabric is used in applications that require a "breathable" FIBC or where a liner is used inside the FIBC.

Myth: CROHMIQ is not FDA approved.
Truth: CROHMIQ fabrics comply with the US Food, Drug & Cosmetic Acts, and the EU Material & Articles in Contact with Food Regulations. Independent analysis of the component materials used in the construction of CROHMIQ fabric has concluded that:

  • the extruded coating of CROHMIQ fabric provides a functional food contact barrier against adulteration from outside agents;
  • under FDA regulations the component materials of the CROHMIQ extruded coating and base fabric are either GRAS (generally recognized as safe) or within the relevant specifications;
  • under EU regulations, none of the component materials used in the construction of CROHMIQ fabric (including the extruded coating) is on the positive list - i.e. all component materials in CROHMIQ fabric are permitted for food contact.

Myth: CROHMIQ fabric contains solid metal filaments.
Truth: CROHMIQ does not contain any metal filaments. The special static dissipative yarns woven into CROHMIQ fabric are mainly polypropylene with a small percentage of carbon.

Myth: TEXENE recognizes other companies using similar technology to CROHMIQ as being legitimate competition.
Truth: TEXENE does not recognize the legitimacy of any product that infringes upon TEXENE patents and will vigorously enforce its intellectual property rights against others who violate its U.S. and foreign patents.

MYTH: If you own a patent, it gives you the right to use make, use and sell the product or method covered by your patent.
TRUTH: Not necessarily. Owning patent does not necessarily allow an infringer to avoid violating TEXENE patents. A patent only gives you the right to exclude others. Whether you can practice the invention described in your own patent depends upon the existence of patents owned by others. Example: Company A invents the "pencil" and obtains a patent. Later, Company B decides to put an eraser on the end of the pencil and obtains a patent on the combination. But the pencil/eraser combination sold by Company B is still a pencil and its manufacture and sale would violate the original pencil patent owned by Company A.

Myth:CROHMIQ is only available in the USA.
Truth: CROHMIQ is available worldwide and CROHMIQ FIBC are manufactured in every Continent where FIBC manufacturers and ultimate end users are located.

TEXENE LLC, Textile Technologies of the 21st Century
Textile Technologies of the 21st Century


TEXENE LLC is a leading manufacturer of technical textiles focused on delivering precision engineered, safety performance products worldwide.

ARTICLES ON ELECTROSTATICS

STATIC HAZARDS USING FLEXIBLE INTERMEDIATE BULK CONTAINERS FOR POWDER HANDLING
In the early 1990's, Dr Laurence G. Britton, a highly respected process safety engineer with Union Carbide Corp. (later Dow Corp.), conducted a study of fire and explosion incidents that occurred when FIBC were ...

DANGERS OF COMBUSTIBLE DUST EXPLOSIONS, OSHA REGULATIONS, AND ANTISTATIC FIBC
Following three fatal dust explosions in 2003 alone, the US Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) launched a wide ranging study of industrial dust explosions.  This first issue of our Electrostatic Safety ...

CHOOSING SAFE STATIC CONTROL FIBC
The second issue of our Electrostatic Safety Review outlines the development of conductive Type C FIBC and the later development of CROHMIQ, the world's first truly effective Type D FIBC fabric, which provides ...

TESTING & CERTIFYING THE SAFETY OF STATIC PROTECTIVE FIBC
The third issue in our series of Electrostatic Safety Reviews describes the rigorous testing that is demanded by national and international standards such (IEC, CENELEC, NFPA, etc.) in order to prove the safety of ...

NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN SAFETY STANDARDS FOR STATIC PROTECTIVE FIBC
Companies that handle combustible powders in bulk bags, or empty products from bulk bags in environments where flammable solvents may be present rely on safe antistatic FIBC to prevent fires and explosions. Proving safety ...

CHEMICAL ACCIDENTS IN THE NEWS

Jul 28th, 2010
Frontier Refinery Fire Under Control
Around 5:40 this morning, a fire broke out in the crude unit of the Frontier Oil ...

Jul 28th, 2010
Fire fought at recycling plant near Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport
SARASOTA COUNTY - It took firefighters about two hours Tuesday to put out a fire ...

Jul 27th, 2010
Explosion leads to chemical spill
An explosion led to a hazardous chemical spill Tuesday night on the Eastside. Capt. Rita ...

Jul 26th, 2010
Fumes Force Evacuation of Southwestside Business
Diesel fumes, reportedly, forced an evacuation of a business called Aspen Systems in the 5100 block ...

Jul 26th, 2010
Two Die in Pittsburgh-area Well Explosion
An oil storage tank at a natural gas well exploded Friday morning, killing two workers, ...

Jul 23rd, 2010
2 Killed In Pittsburgh Gas Well Explosion
Resulting Fire Spewed Black Smoke For... ...

Jul 22nd, 2010
Potter zinc plant explosion claims 2
An investigation has begun to determine the cause of an explosion at a Beaver County ...

Jul 19th, 2010
1 hospitalized after Morristown plant explosion
According to the Citizen Tribune, toluene liquid, often used as a solvent, boiled into a ...

Jul 19th, 2010
Three injured in Adams County blast
BENDERSVILLE, Monday, July 19, 2010 -- Two men and a child were burned Sunday in an explosion ...

Jul 18th, 2010
Officials investigating Santa Clara recycling fire
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Santa Clara fire officials are investigating a fire at a ...

Jul 18th, 2010
Oil Fire Quickly Tamed At Local Refinery
WHITEHALL, Ohio -- The Heartland Oil Refinery on East 5th Avenue was the scene of ...

Jul 18th, 2010
Electrical problem sparks fire at paper plant
RIEGELWOOD, N.C. -- Officials say an electrical problem is to blame for a fire ...

Jul 17th, 2010
No one injured in blaze at paint warehouse
A Tomball paint warehouse remains on fire 12 hours after the five-alarm blaze was reported this ...

Jul 17th, 2010
Explosion, fire rock Independence corncob processor
INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (AP) — An apparent dust explosion at a corn cob processing plant in Independence ...

Jul 14th, 2010
At Least 14 Hurt In Pennsylvania Steel Plant Blast
At least 14 people were hurt on Wednesday in a blast at a U.S. Steel ...

Jul 13th, 2010
Ammonia leak clears Coors plant
GOLDEN — An ammonia leak at the Molson Coors Brewing Co. sent two workers to the ...

Jul 12th, 2010
Fire damages factory in Bridgeport
BRIDGEPORT — Heavy smoke and flames engulfed portions of the C.J. Robinson Specialty Wax Company ...

Jul 12th, 2010
Chemical leak forces Farmington evacuations
FARMINGTON, N.M.—About 20 people were forced to evacuate their homes in Farmington on Sunday ...

Jul 11th, 2010
Cause of explosion unknown: One man seriously injured and reportedly in area burn unit [Laurel Leader-Call, Miss.]
July 11--VOSSBURG -- Clarke County Sheriff Todd Kemp and other emergency personnel responding to Friday's ...

Jul 10th, 2010
Minor Explosion in Lafayette
Firefighters and ambulance rushed to a local health and beauty plant after a scare Saturday ...

Jul 9th, 2010
Welder critically injured in work site blast
ENGLEWOOD, COLO. — A welder working in Englewood has been critically injured after vapors inside a ...

Jul 8th, 2010
Ville Platte Man Injured In Hazardous Material Spill
This morning at 10:42 a.m., State Police received a telephone call advising of an incident ...

Jul 6th, 2010
6 fire departments fight Uniroyal blaze near Madison
STOUGHTON, Wis. (AP) - Firefighters from six departments battled a blaze at Uniroyal Engineered Products ...

Jul 6th, 2010
Three sent to hospital after explosion at York business
YORK, Maine — Three people were sent to the hospital Saturday after an explosion at a ...

Jul 5th, 2010
Acid Spill Evacuated Downtown Jewelers Exchange
SAN DIEGO - Fumes from a spilled gallon container of muriatic acid sent a 60-year-old ...

Jul 2nd, 2010
Workers in walkout over fatal blast at refinery
A 24-year-old man from Grimsby died in the explosion at the Lindsey Oil Refinery (LOR), ...