IEC 60079-0:2011

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Specifies the general requirements for construction, testing and marking of electrical apparatus and Ex components intended for use in explosive gas atmospheres. Electrical apparatus complying with this standard is intended for use in hazardous areas in which explosive gas atmospheres, caused by mixtures of air and gases, vapours or mists, exist under normal atmospheric conditions. The significant changes with respect to the previous edition are: Requirements for explosive dust atmospheres transferred from IEC 61241-0, The marking Group "II" alone has been replaced by "IIA", "IIB", or "IIC" as many of the enclosure requirements are now aligned with a specific sub-group, Dust groups defined as Group IIIA, IIIB and IIIC, Remainder of "electrostatic" requirements transferred from IEC 60079-26 and Equipment protection levels (EPL) introduced. The contents of the interpretation sheets of November 2008 and April 2019, and the corrigendum of December 2010 have been included in this copy.

Specifies general requirements for the design, construction, testing and marking of electrical apparatus protected by any recognized safeguard technique for use in areas where combustible dust may be present in quantities that could lead to a fire or explosion hazard. The application of electrical apparatus in atmospheres which may contain explosive gas as well as combustible dust, whether simultaneously or separately, requires additional protective measures. The contents of the corrigendum of November 2005 have been included in this copy.

IEC 60079-0:2017 specifies the general requirements for construction, testing and marking of Ex Equipment and Ex Components intended for use in explosive atmospheres. The standard atmospheric conditions (relating to the explosion characteristics of the atmosphere) under which it may be assumed that Ex Equipment can be operated are: -temperature –20 °C to +60 °C; -pressure 80 kPa (0,8 bar) to 110 kPa (1,1 bar); and -air with normal oxygen content, typically 21 % v/v. This part of IEC 60079 and other standards supplementing this standard specify additional test requirements for Ex Equipment operating outside the standard temperature range, but further additional consideration and additional testing may be required for Ex Equipment operating outside the standard atmospheric pressure range and standard oxygen content. Such additional testing may be particularly relevant with respect to Types of Protection that depend on quenching of a flame such as ‘flameproof enclosures “d”’ (IEC 60079-1) or limitation of energy, ‘intrinsic safety “i”’ (IEC 60079-11). This seventh edition cancels and replaces the sixth edition, published in 2011. This edition constitutes a technical revision. Refer to the Foreword of the document for a complete listing of the technical changes between edition 7.0 and the previous edition of the document. Keywords: Ex Equipment and Ex Components intended for use in explosive atmospheres The contents of the interpretation sheet 1 of April 2019, of the interpretation sheet 2 of June 2019 and the corrigendum 1 of January 2020 have been included in this copy.