Dust in bulk materials can have several and varied impacts on users and producers.
Impacts on the producer include:
Cost to the user include:
So how exactly do you measure the dustiness of a bulk material ?
I’ve seen methods used, for example with desiccant materials, where a QC operative assessment is to plunge an arm into the bulk container, remove it from the bulk and assess the amount of dust caught on the hairs of the arm …… the ‘Hairy Arm’ test.
At FIL, we now offer an instrument DustView II which uses a ‘drop test’ for the bulk being investigated. Originally developed in conjunction with a major manufacturer of fertilisers, a measured weight of material is placed in a small hopper and a valve opened rapidly to allow the material to drop down a tube, under gravity, impacting on a baseplate mounted inside a chamber below. This chamber is monitored by an optics based dust monitoring system which fives an output based on obscuration / scattering of a light beam. The level of scattering is dependent on the dust concentration released during the fall and impact of the process.
Other methods exist and although it is difficult to correlate different systems or link any measured values to explosability limits etc., as an indicator of dust levels and a quality control tool it has proved to be a quick and useful instrument for both manufacturers and users.
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Filter Integrity Limited is proud to announce that it has entered into a partnership with IBR Laboratories of Grass Lake Michigan USA to promote and develop filter testing and performance validation capabilities. Andrew Chalmers, Director at Filter Integrity Limited commented: I’m personally delighted to have agreed a partnership with IBR Laboratories. I’ve worked with Susan and her team over […]
The Filtration Society is a not for profit organisation formed by filtration / separation professionals back in 1964, with an aim to advance and disseminate knowledge on the design and use of filtration and separation techniques in industry, commerce and other walks of life. The Society has a membership covering over 30 countries and continues to offer […]
It’s all happening in the first full week in September which brings two conferences / exhibitions for particle scientists in the UK. EAC 2011 the European Aerosol Conference from 4th – 9th Sept in Manchester this year promises to be the biggest and best yet, with a packed schedule and a good number of exhibition stands. FIL will be joining […]
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