Chapter 12

Dust Control
12.1 DUST PARTICLES
Particles of sizes in the range of 1
400 μm can be defined as dusts, with
particles larger than 100 μm in size settling down near the source of forma-
tion. The total size range can be divided into three classes
larger than
20 μm, 20
1 μm, and less than 1 μm
these can be termed as large parti-
cles, fines and ultrafines, respectively (Leonard, 1979). The size distribution
of dust generated in a crushing plant is indicated in Fig. 12.1. It should be
noted that it is more difficult to separate smaller particles from the air stream
as they have a greater tendency to remain in suspension (Kumar, 1987).
The amount of dust generated depends upon the type of handling and
transportation equipment used. A sensitive location of dust control is gener-
ally at the conveyor transfer points, screens, crushers, bins, silos and loading
and unloading points (Leonard, 1979). The dust control problem is usually
restricted to dry handling of coal preparation plants.
Respirable dust is generally defined as particulate matter less than 10 μm
in diameter according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Respirable dust can get into the lungs of human beings and cause pneumoco-
niosis on prolonged exposure. The quality of air must be maintained so that
the concentration of respirable dust does not exceed 2 mg/m3. If the quartz
content of an air sample exceeds 5%, the average concentration of respirable
dust should be less than 2 mg/m3 (Meyers, 1981).

12.2 SOURCES OF DUST

In coal-handling plants and raw coal sections of coal preparation plants, dust
poses a serious problem. The main sources of dust generation are crushers,
screens, dedusters and transfer points between handling units. Other sources
are storage piles and railway wagons used for loading or transfer. Dust con-
trol has a dual function of cleaning the air in order to avoid health hazards
and recovery of coal. The sizes of coal particles which become airborne are
in the range of 1
100 μm. Particles larger than 100 μm generally fall back
near the source of generation (Meyers, 1981). The problems of dust emission

Sustainable Management of Coal Preparation. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-812632-5.00012-4

© 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 265
266 Sustainable Management of Coal Preparation

5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
WT % retained

60
65
70
75
80
85

90

93

95
96
97

98

99

99.5
1 2 3 5 7.5 10 20 30 50 75 100 200 400

Size in µm
FIGURE 12.1 Size distribution of dust generated in a crushing plant.

are tackled either by dust extraction or suppression. In India, coal preparation

plants don’t employ thermal drying so the problems caused by dust are not
as serious as in other countries. Even so, dust hazards are required to be con-
trolled so that a cleaner and safer working atmosphere is maintained. This is
possible only through minimisation of dust production by providing the most
suitable dust collection systems. The most important sources of dust genera-
tion in a coal washery can be summarised as follows:
G Machineries for crushing;
G Dry screening processes;
G Dry cleaning treatment;
G Conveyor belt transfer points;
G Thermal drying if in operation;
G Coal handling and loading zones;
G Coal storage piles;
G Loading and transportation.
 Dust Control Chapter | 12 267

12.3 DUST CONTAINMENT/PREVENTION

There are many factors that can be leveraged to prevent dust from becoming
airborne. These are particle size, cohesion, air velocity, and physical or
chemical treatment of transported material (Marshall, 2015). Any method
that increases the particle size, helps the particles to fall on the ground.
Water sprayed onto the material is the most common method of enlarging
particle dimensions. In addition, use of surfactants and foams, and control-
ling air flow play a major role in combating particle emission.

12.3.1 Water Spray System

The use of water sprays is the oldest and most common method of dust
control. These techniques can be crude but are often used. Each dust
particle’s ability to become airborne reduces, as the fines are wetted and
subsequently their weight increases. As a result, they fall to the ground.
These systems use both surface-wetting and airborne particle capture
involving two operations
prevention of dust from becoming airborne and
suppression of airborne dust. Airborne dust is knocked down by spraying
the dust cloud and causing the particles to collide, agglomerate and fall
from the air (Dust Control Handbook (NIOSH), 2012). However, wet-sprays
have the following disadvantages:
G They cannot be applied in the case of material having higher concentra-
tions of clay or shale, which may cause screens to blind and chutes to
clog, even at low moisture percentages.
G Water cannot be used at all times throughout the year in various climates
where low temperatures may cause freezing.
G The significant increase in coal moisture leads to lower heating value of
the fuel and higher BTU penalty.
G It has only a limited residual effect due to evaporation, and will need to
be reapplied at various points throughout the process to remain effective.
G Overapplication in the amount/volume of moisture can be a problem in
all operations and may impact the equipment as well as the total process
and transportability of the final product.
G The possibility of low collision frequency between water droplets and
dust particles (Peters et al., 2017).

12.3.1.1 Controlling Droplet Size

In a water spray system, the droplet size plays a major role. The particle and
water droplet sizes should be roughly equivalent for optimal agglomeration.
The probability of impaction also increases as the size of the water spray
droplets decreases, because as the size of the droplets decreases, the number
of droplets increases (Rocha, 2005). If the droplet diameter is much greater
268 Sustainable Management of Coal Preparation

than the diameter of the dust particle, the dust particle simply follows the air
stream lines around the droplet. If the water droplet is of a size comparable
to that of the dust particle, contact occurs as the dust particle follows the
stream lines and collides with the droplet (Fig. 12.2).

12.3.2 Surfactants and Foams

A surfactant may be added to enhance droplet spreading and the bonding
effect of water on the dust particles. A surfactant is used when dust cannot
be controlled by plain water or if the moisture content of the materials
reaches a maximum limit (Marshall, 2015). Instead of surfactant, a foam can
also be used to expand the moisture effect and reduce the use of water. A
foam system, although costlier than a plain water spray or water-surfactant
system, can provide better dust control with significantly less moisture
content.

12.3.3 Controlling Air Flow

To keep the particles in the material stream, the impacting air is to be
minimised. Engineered transfer chutes (curved chutes) and designed transfer
chutes both minimise air speed and material disruption. Of the two, engi-
neered transfer chutes render more benefits in terms of elimination of surplus
air and prevention of dust generation. The relative cost of different dust
prevention methodologies is elaborated in Fig. 12.3.

Air stream Air stream

Dust particles
follow stream

Airflow

Dust particles
impact and
Droplet agglomerate

Dust particles

Dust particles
FIGURE 12.2 Effect of droplet size on dust particle impingement. After Dust Control
Handbook for Industrial Minerals Mining and Processing, National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH), Report of Investigations 9689, January 2012, pp. 1
314.
 Dust Control Chapter | 12 269

12.4 DUST COLLECTION

Dust particles can be collected by different mechanisms depending upon the
particle size and velocity. Dust collection by gravitational settling is one pos-
sibility and the centrifugal separator, where nothing but enhanced gravita-
tional settling occurs, is another dust collection equipment. Dust collection
by filter takes place by direct interception and inertial impact on the filter for
larger particles, whereas for smaller particles Brownian diffusion occurs.
Dust collection systems consists of four main components (Fig. 12.4):
G Enclosure of any dust source;
G Ducting the dust-laden air from the source to the place of collection;
G Dust collector for taking out the dust from the air stream;
Relative system cost

5
4
3
2
1
0
Spray Surfactant Foam Designed Engineered
transfer chute transfer chute
Dust prevention methodology
FIGURE 12.3 Costs of dust prevention methodology.

Dust
Air
cleaning
device
Fan

Hood

Dust source

FIGURE 12.4 A basic depiction of a simple exhaust system with the major components being
the hood, duct, air cleaning device and fan. After Dust Control Handbook for Industrial
Minerals Mining and Processing, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH), Report of Investigations 9689, January 2012, pp. 1
314.
270 Sustainable Management of Coal Preparation

G Fan of proper type for exhaust ventilation with adequate volume and
pressure.
There are mainly six types of collectors, namely:
G Gravitational settling chambers;
G Centrifugal separators;
G Filters;
G Wet scrubbers;
G Electrostatic precipitators (ESPs);
G Ultrasonic agglomeration equipment.

12.4.1 Selection of Dust Collector

The selection of dust collection equipment depends upon various factors:
G Size distribution of particles to be handled and their shape and density;
G Concentration and volume of the particles;
G Collection efficiency required;
G Ease of maintenance and reliability;
G Temperature and humidity of carrier gas;
G Initial capital and operating cost;
G Availability of space;
G Dew point of the atmosphere;
G Pressure drop involved against the flow rate;
G Disposal arrangement for the collected dust and discharge of clean air
conforming to the pollution regulations.

12.4.2 Design Criteria for Dust Collectors

When a dust collection system is designed, the following points should be
kept in view:
G The amount of dust emitted to the premises should be kept minimal by
way of reducing the number of material discharge and transfer points.
G The loading factor of the collector should be matched with its efficiency.
G Capture of all dust generated at each source by appropriate dust collec-
tion hoods and ductwork should be available.
G The hoods should be so designed that the airflow in the hood is minimal
with the power consumption being as low as possible.
G The dust-laden air should pass through the ductwork without any settle-
ment of dust on the way and with minimal pressure loss.
G The hoods should be so designed that the heavier particles, if settled in
the duct, will fall back.
G The ducts should preferably be of circular cross-section and as short as
possible.
 Dust Control Chapter | 12 271

G In the case of multiple hoods connected to a single duct and exhaust fan,
the dimension of each branch should be properly selected for correct
flow at each hood.

12.4.3 Efficiency of Dust Collectors

The efficiency of the dust collector can be expressed by the following
equation:
ðQ1 2 Q2 Þ
E5  100%
Q1
where:
E 5 Dust collection efficiency in percentage;
Q1 5 Amount of dust entering the collector;
Q2 5 Amount of dust leaving the collector
The efficiency of the dust collection system depends upon many factors,
including:
G Type of collector used;
G Design of the dust collection system;
G Temperature and humidity of the dust-laden air;
G Dust loading of the air stream;
G Size of the dust particles
the finer the size, the lower the efficiency.

12.4.4 Gravitational Settling Chambers

In gravitational settling chambers (Fig. 12.5), collection takes place by sedi-
mentation following Stoke’s law:
ρD2g
Vs 5
18μ
where:
Vs 5 terminal velocity;
ρ 5 particle density;
D 5 particle diameter;
g 5 gravitational acceleration;
μ 5 viscosity of air.
The density of air has been neglected.
For a chamber of length L and height h, if the (horizontal) velocity com-
ponent of the trajectory is u, then:
272 Sustainable Management of Coal Preparation

Target plates
to direct airflow

To dust collector

Heavy particles
drop out due to
reduced velocity

Dust-laden
Discharge
airstream
control
valve

Discharge
to process
or waste
FIGURE 12.5 Typical design of a gravity separator (drop-out box). After Dust Control
Handbook for Industrial Minerals Mining and Processing, National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH), Report of Investigations 9689, January 2012, pp. 1
314.

sffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
18μuh
D5
Lgρ

With the introduction of n number of collecting plates the equation

becomes (Dorman, 1974)
sffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
18μuh
D5
Lgρn

Thus the collection of smaller particles is enhanced
particles larger

than 40
50 μm can be collected by this type of chamber. However, the grav-
itational settling chambers are not generally used because of their large size
requirement and low efficiency.

12.4.5 Cyclones
Cyclones are a very common type of dry dust collector used in coal-handling
and preparation plants (Fig. 12.6). They are sometimes used as a preseparator
for separation of coarser dust from the air stream in order to reduce the load
on the secondary dust collectors.
The particles are separated from the air stream by centrifugal force:
mv2
F5
r
 Dust Control Chapter | 12 273

Outlet

Dust-laden
air inlet
Centrifugal forces
pull heavier particles
to the wall
Lighter particles
move towards
the centre
and upward

Plan view

Discharge
control
valve

Discharge
to process
FIGURE 12.6 Typical design of a cyclone dust collector. After Dust Control Handbook for
Industrial Minerals Mining and Processing, National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH), Report of Investigations 9689, January 2012, pp. 1
314.

The force F acts on the dust particle of mass m moving with a velocity v
in a circle of radius r.
The coarser particles will be easily separated from the finer particles. The
cyclones with smaller radius generate more force for a given cyclone veloc-
ity and thus are more efficient in removing small particles. Yet, smaller-
diameter cyclones are more prone to plugging by humid air and coarse parti-
cles. These cyclones require more maintenance and attention as they have to
withstand high flow velocities.
The cyclones can be grouped into three categories according to their
diameter: 120
550 cm, 90 cm (long cone), and 15.2
22.9 cm.
In addition to the diameter, the performance of the cyclone also depends
upon several factors including the cone angle, the feed pressure, the feed
concentration and the particle size of the feed, orifice size of feed, overflow
and underflow apertures, as well as length of the cylindrical section.
However, the diameter is the most important factor influencing the efficiency
and application of cyclones.
274 Sustainable Management of Coal Preparation

12.4.6 Fabric Filters

Fabric filters, also called bag houses, consist of a large number of filter bags
arranged in a manner to continuously remove the collected material. The
dust-laden air flows from the inside to the outside of the bags. The removal
of dust is affected either by a shaker mechanism or a blow ring travelling
slowly up and down for continuous removal of dust.
Fabric filters are more efficient compared to cyclones. They are usually
applied in series after the cyclones as a secondary collector system. The filter
fabric is a woven material with openings much greater than the size of the
particles being collected. The air containing the dust particles passes through
the oven fabric at low velocity and the dust particles are intercepted. As the
dust buildup increases, so does the resistance to the flow, so the buildup is
removed either intermittently or continuously.
There is one disadvantage of fabric filters: they do not work if the mois-
ture content of the dust-laden air is high. In that case the fabric is susceptible
to plugging. Therefore it is sometimes necessary to preheat the dust-laden air
stream to raise its temperature above the dew point to avoid condensation
(Fig. 12.7).

12.4.6.1 Utility of a Preseparator

It has been general practice to separate the major part of dust by cyclones
and only a small part by filters. The application of an improved type of fab-
ric filter without a preseparator has now made it possible to separate the total

FIGURE 12.7 Basic design of a baghouse dust collector. After Dust Control Handbook for
Industrial Minerals Mining and Processing, National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH), Report of Investigations 9689, January 2012, pp. 1
314.
 Dust Control Chapter | 12 275

dust content by filters alone. The bags are cleaned by compressed air instead
of mechanical devices. The dust-laden air flows from the outside to the
inside of the filter bags instead of vice versa. For cleaning high dust loads,
the filters are specially constructed and they have been applied successfully.
The filter bags have to be placed at a sufficient distance and the air-to-cloth
ratio should be between 2.5 and 3.0. The specially constructed filters can
take dust loads of up to 600 g/m3. Special needle felts are used as filter
media. The quality of the needle felt is determined by strict specifications.
The improved type of filters are designed according to the following equa-
tion (Menden, 1984):
Va 5 C1 :C2 :C3 :C4 :C5 :C6 :Vn
where:
Va 5 designed air-to-cloth ratio;
Vn 5 imaginary normal air-to-cloth ratio;
C1 5 coefficient for the particular application;
C2 5 coefficient for the gas temperature;
C3 5 coefficient for the range of particle sizes;
C4 5 coefficient for the dust load in raw gas;
C5 5 coefficient for the cleaning efficiency;
C6 5 coefficient for the separator type.
The preseparator has some influence on the values of C3 and C4. It has
been found that the preseparator does not increase the air-to-cloth ratio
significantly as it is more difficult to separate smaller dust loads made up of
relatively small particles. Thus the filters without a preseparator are recom-
mended for direct separation of dust-laden air of the whole plant because of
their many advantages, such as less investment cost, smaller space require-
ment, less operating cost, less maintenance requirements, etc. This type of
filter has already been used successfully in the grinding plants of the quarry-
ing industry.

12.4.7 Electrostatic Precipitators

ESPs are particulate control devices that use electrical forces to move parti-
cles from the air stream to the collection plates. Particles passing through the
precipitator are given a negative electrical charge by being forced to pass
through a region, called a corona, in which the gas ions flow. Once the parti-
cle has been negatively charged, it is forced to the positively charged plate.
Particles are removed from the plate by a knocking action.
ESPs normally have a higher initial cost than local exhaust ventilation
systems, but a number of advantages make them worth considering. Once
installed, ESPs require very little maintenance because there are no moving
parts. The installation time and the operating costs are also lower than for a
276 Sustainable Management of Coal Preparation

local exhaust ventilation system. One last advantage is that the product is
easily recovered and recycled back into the process.
There are four basic types of ESPs: plate and wire (dry), flat plate (dry),
wet, and two-stage. ESPs provide a large air volume, operate favourably in
various temperatures, and require little maintenance. Their limitations
include their physical size, operation expenses and inconsistent collection
efficiencies. A more thorough discussion of ESPs, including distinctions
between single-stage and two-stage types, is available in the ACGIH hand-
book, Industrial Ventilation: A Manual of Recommended Practice for Design
(ACGIH, 2010).

12.5 CONCLUDING REMARKS

The main objective of any plant operation is to process the required quantity
of coal most efficiently. Thus, the dust control aspects are sometimes
neglected. On the other hand, the atmosphere of the workplace should be
kept clean, which helps create a better working environment as well as
extending the life of the mechanical equipment. Thus, it is necessary to apply
proper measures to prevent emission of dusts into the atmosphere at the
workplace. The dust control system consists of a number of suction hoods
for collecting the dust and conveying it to the dust collectors. The dust can
be captured by adequate suction and removed efficiently. A central vacuum
cleaning system (Fig. 12.8) may be installed to collect all the dust captured
throughout the mill. This will make the workplace much cleaner.

Exhaust fan
Duct Central Duct
dust
collector

Discharge control
valve

Hood Hood Hood Hood Hood

FIGURE 12.8 Central dust collection system.

 Dust Control Chapter | 12 277

The design of this system should be such that it does not hamper the nor-
mal operation of the equipment and facilitate quick access for regular inspec-
tion and repair of the equipment. The workplace should be monitored on a
regular basis to assess the dust concentration in the atmosphere so that the
dust control measures can be adjusted. There is an added advantage of dust
collection in the coal industry. The collected dust, depending upon its qual-
ity, can be either directly mixed with the saleable coal or upgraded in the
regular circuit of fine coal beneficiation of the coal preparation plant.
It is now realised that central dust collection systems are fraught with
several detrimental traits (Strebel, 2017):
G Ducting causes build-up of material leading to operational and safety
concerns.
G High pressure drop requires high power requirements and large capital
outlay.
G System-wide airflow balancing requires active maintenance and resolving
demanding maintenance issues.
G Periodic disposal of collected dust.
An improved technology is the integrated air cleaner. It is a smaller unit
independently operating at each dust generation point. It contains only the
blower and required filter media. It does not require any ducting and parti-
cles are not stored for disposal.
Finally, dust management should broadly consists of three steps of dust
prevention (Strebel, 2017):
G Containment of dust in the right places;
G Adding the regulated amount of moisture to increase collection of
particles;
G Use of air cleaners instead of a central collection system.

REFERENCES
ACGIH, 2010. Industrial ventilation: a manual of recommended practice for design. 27 ed.
Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists.
Dorman, R.G., 1974. Dust Control and Air Cleaning. Pergamon Press, Oxford.
Dust Control Handbook for Industrial Minerals Mining and Processing, National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Report of Investigations 9689, January 2012, pp.
1
314.
Kumar, D., 1987. Dust Control of Coal Preparation and Handling Plants by Dry Collectors, Bulk
Solids, Handling 7 (1), 133
136. February.
Leonard, J., 1979. Coal Preparation, The American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical &
Petroleum Engineers, New York.
Marshall, D., 2015. When Dust Strikes, World Coal 24 (5), 45
48. May.
Menden, G., 1984. Filtering separators without pre-separators in grinding plants in the quarrying
industry, Aufbereitungs-Technik, February, pp. 102
108.
278 Sustainable Management of Coal Preparation

Meyers, R.A., 1981. Coal Hand Book. Marcel Dekker Inc, New York and Basel, chapters5 & 6.
Peters, J., Smith, S., Uytiepo, B., 2017. Keeping Dust Under Control, World Coal, May. Vol. 26,
Number 4, pp. 43
46.
Rocha, E., 2005. PowerPoint presentation slide # 30 presented by E. Rocha, General Manager,
Spraying Systems do Brasil Ltda. Spray Technology Workshop for Pollution Control at
Spraying Systems do Brasil Ltda, São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil.
Strebel, M., 2017. Up In The Air About Dust, World Coal, January/February, Vol. 26, Number
1, pp. 50
54.

FURTHER READING
Posner, R., 2015. Fog And Fence: Capturing Fugitive Dust, World Coal, May, Vol. 24, Number
5, pp. 49
52.
Rowland, M., 2017. Defeating Dust-Borne Diseases, World Coal, January/February, Vol. 26,
Number 1, pp. 47
49.