Anti-incendiary flexible intermediate bulk container with induction control

A method for reducing the energy of electrostatic discharge in flexible fabric container system suitable for use in a combustible environment, comprising the steps of:

• providing a woven fabric configured to form the flexible fabric container having side walls, a closed end and an open end;
• including within said woven fabric a plurality of quasi-conductive fibers, said fibers having filaments that are sized and shaped to effect corona discharges at corona discharge points while having a resistance to avoid discharges at the ends and along the lengths of filaments at a rate that would result in an incendiary type of discharge in the combustible environment;
• and
• wherein the electrical resistivity of said woven fabric allows the flow of electricity through the fabric at a rate to discharge of below about one-hundred nanocoulombs per individual discharge whenever the fabric is charged at greater than about negative ten thousand volts, and
• including a coating with an anti-static agent on the fabric so that, while grounded, there is sufficient charge dissipation within the container in order for the residual charge to be maintained below that required to cause potentials to be induced on nearby isolated conductors, said potentials sufficient to cause an incendiary discharge in the combustible environment.

A woven fabric for use in a controlled-conductive flexible container, the fabric comprising:

• interwoven warp and weft fibers;
• a coating of a compound having antistatic properties applied to cover a surface of said fabric;
• and
• a plurality of quasi-conductive fibers having corona discharge points, said fibers including one or more filaments, said filaments sized and shaped to effect:
• corona discharge at said corona discharge points while having resistance to avoid discharge at ends of said filaments and along the lengths of said filaments at a rate that results in incendiary type discharges in a combustible environment.