The industry demand that directed the development of CROHMIQ® was for inherently safe FIBC so that human errors in grounding FIBC are avoided. CROHMIQblue™ was designed to provide full protection against electrostatic hazards in FIBC operations without the need for grounding. With the invention of CROHMIQblue Type D FIBC, the grounding failures with Type C FIBC that caused serious fires and explosions could be eliminated.
Another possible source of human error in FIBC operations is confusion over the type of FIBC. Type C FIBC are distinguishable by the stripe or grid pattern of conductive yarns woven throughout the fabric, and by the presence of grounding tags on the FIBC. Without such distinguishing features, CROHMIQ designers were concerned that CROHMIQ FIBC could be confused with non-static protective FIBC. Whereas using a CROHMIQ FIBC in non-hazardous areas presents no risk, using Type A or Type B FIBC in hazardous areas containing flammable materials can cause accidents leading to fatalities. In keeping with the original design criterion of avoiding human errors, it was necessary to clearly distinguish CROHMIQ FIBC from non-static protective FIBC. The designers did this by choosing a distinctive blue color for the fabric, so that when handling CROHMIQblue FIBC, operators can be in no doubt that the FIBC are safe for use without grounding.
Since the introduction of CROHMIQblue, the blue color has become a hallmark of genuine Type D FIBC, so much so that Texene has been granted a registered trademark for the color blue when applied to any FIBC.
For practical and commercial marketing reasons, some customers prefer FIBC to be white. To meet this demand, CROHMIQwhite™ fabric is an available option. CROHMIQwhite fabrics are manufactured in the same way as CROHMIQblue fabrics, but without the blue pigment, and maintain exactly the same static protection, which is derived from the special quasi-conductive CROHMIQ Yarns™ woven into all CROHMIQ fabrics. With the publication of IEC 61340-4-4, different types of FIBC are more easily distinguishable because of the requirement to clearly display the type of FIBC on the safety label, together with the areas for safe use. Nevertheless, to provide operators with an extra assurance of safety, CROHMIQwhite does retain blue marker tapes to identify the fabrics as genuine CROHMIQ products.
With their unmatched safety record, CROHMIQblue™ and CROHMIQwhite™ are the number one static protective packaging materials for leading global companies.