The handling and transportation of mineral products is often associated with the creation of dust emissions, usually as a result of air turbulence caused by the sudden transfer of material.
The conditions for the generation of dust are varied: the product itself can be in dust form or contain an element of dust present in its composition; a solid or granular product can create dust via attrition or agitation due to handling methods; and dust can be created as a by-product of machining operations.
The resulting emissions are undesirable and need to be controlled for a number of reasons, including personnel safety, cross-contamination of products, risk to equipment performance, and compliance with ATEX regulations (the two European Directives for controlling explosive atmospheres). Emissions can be controlled through dust extraction systems.
Dust extraction systems are selected to handle a given air volume flow rate, which is mainly dependent on the type...