The combustion of dust in air is most commonly associated with which type of explosion?

The combustion of dust in air is most commonly associated with deflagration. This type of explosion occurs when a combustible material, such as dust, ignites and the combustion wave travels through the substance at a speed less than the speed of sound in that material.

In the case of dust, when it becomes suspended in air, it can ignite rapidly, leading to a rapid release of energy. However, the rate at which the combustion wave propagates is relatively slow, allowing for a pressure wave to build up and potentially cause damage to surrounding structures. This is characteristic of a deflagration, as opposed to detonation, which involves a combustion wave travelling faster than the speed of sound and is often linked to gases rather than solids like dust.

While flash fires can occur in the presence of flammable vapors, and vapor cloud explosions involve larger cloud formations of ignitable gases, these phenomena do not specifically relate to the combustion of dust. Therefore, deflagration is the correct association for the combustion of dust in air, as it effectively captures the dynamics involved in such explosions.