Bondalti makes chlorine, caustic soda, hydrogen and aromatic chemicals at Estarreja, and this page is for the HSE and instrumentation teams who decide what an explosion proof mobile phone must be in Portugal's chemical heartland. The IS-04Z1 is an intrinsically safe Android handset designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21, with certification in progress ahead of a Q4 2026 launch.
Launching Q4 2026 · certification programme in progress
Bondalti's Portuguese production sits in the Estarreja chemical complex, with a second site in Torrelavega in Spain. Its chlor-alkali business electrolyses brine to make chlorine, caustic soda and hydrogen, and in 2025 Asahi Kasei announced the start of operation of a new plant there with nine of its electrolysers. Its organic chemistry chain runs from nitrobenzene to aniline. Two different hazards result. The electrolysis area carries hydrogen, group IIC, alongside toxic chlorine. The organic units carry flammable liquid and vapour, with dust only in drying and packing of solids.
Chemical plants punish a handset in ways a refinery does not: corrosive atmospheres, frequent cleaning, and an alarm culture that depends on people being reachable.
Chlorine and chloride-bearing mist attack connectors, housings and screens over time. IP68 sealing keeps the interior dry during wash-down and rain, but the sealed construction and port covers are the parts to inspect first in an evaluation.
A plant that generates hydrogen belongs in the IIC conversation. The IS-04Z1 marking target is II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4, so the same handset is intended to cover the electrolysis hall and the organic units.
Process alarms matter only if the operator hears them. A shift operator on a tank farm round needs voice, data and an acknowledgement application on the same device, enrolled in the plant's existing mobile management console.
Inspection photographs and tagged positions help with permit-to-work and for recording a gland leak. Four-constellation GNSS and the 50 MP camera are meant for that, subject to the site's own camera policy.
Operators and electricians moving between cell rows need to report a drifting reading, a leaking joint or a voltage fault immediately. A handset that is designed for hydrogen atmospheres removes the practice of walking out to a safe area to make the call.
Rounds through pump areas, columns and loading bays involve flammable liquids, and each defect needs a position and a photograph. One handset replaces the radio, torch and clipboard.
Planned stops bring electrical and mechanical contractors into the complex for a short and intense period. Enrolling a managed handset for each crew and withdrawing it afterwards is simpler than a mixed fleet.
A chemical producer holding an upper-tier Seveso permit will ask the supplier for the ATEX certificate, the marking, the temperature class and the gas group for each area, and will want to know how the device is managed and serviced. Bondalti's own supplier and contractor approval is handled through its procurement and HSE teams, and we describe no named programme for it. Ask them which documents and which site induction are needed before a new device class is accepted.
The IS-04Z1 has no certificate yet. Evaluation units go out for assessment, training and workflow testing only, and they are not to be used in a classified area until the certification covering that use is complete.
Not in the ignition sense. Chlorine is toxic and corrosive, and it is controlled with gas detection, respiratory protection and area access rules. The Zone 1 marking concerns flammable gas, vapour and dust, so it is the hydrogen and organic solvent areas that call for an Ex handset.
Only in places that handle powders, such as drying, bagging or salt handling. The IS-04Z1 is designed for both Zone 1 and Zone 21, so one handset covers a plant that has both gas and the occasional dust area.
Damage to the enclosure, seals or ports can, which is why an Ex device must be inspected and serviced by an approved facility rather than repaired on site. Inspection intervals belong in the user's own plan.
Tell us the site, the zone and gas group, and roughly how many handsets. The SAMS team replies by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule for Portugal. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch and certification is in progress, so there is no list price yet; indicative pricing is issued in writing against a stated quantity and site.
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule for your market.
