Dust And Pollution Control; Metallic Particulate Contamination - HP StorageWorks XP12000 Site Prep Manual

Dust and pollution control

Airborne contaminants and particles of a certain size and hardness can damage the
disk array. Some of the most common contaminants are dust, smoke, ash, eraser debris,
food crumbs, and salty air.
Mechanical filters on the disk array protect it by trapping large dust particles. Smaller
particles can pass through some filters, and can eventually cause problems in mechanical
parts. Prevent small dust particles from entering the computer room by maintaining its
air conditioning system at a high static air pressure level.
Your HP representative can help you determine if you need to be concerned about
airborne contaminants.

Metallic particulate contamination

Metallic particulates can be especially harmful around electronic equipment. This type
of contamination may enter the data center environment from a variety of sources,
including but not limited to raised floor tiles, worn air conditioning parts, heating
ducts, rotor brushes in vacuum cleaners, or printer component wear. Because metallic
particulates conduct electricity, they have an increased potential for creating short
circuits in electronic equipment.
Over time, very fine whiskers of pure metal can form on electroplated zinc, cadmium, or
tin surfaces. If these whiskers are disturbed, they may break off and become airborne,
possibly causing failures or operational interruptions. For over 50 years, the electronics
industry has been aware of the relatively rare but possible threat posed by metallic
particulate contamination. During recent years, a growing concern has developed in
computer rooms where these conductive contaminants are formed on the bottom of
some raised floor tiles.
Although this problem is relatively rare, it may be an issue within your computer room.
Since metallic contamination can cause permanent or intermittent failures on your
electronic equipment, HP strongly recommends that your site be evaluated for metallic
particulate contamination before installation of electronic equipment.
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