The impact of moisture on lead concentrate powder dust emissions in ship-loading operations
2021
Nylen, Julian | Sheehan, Madoc
Lead dust emissions can occur when lead powder it is transported via ship-loading facilities. Significant health and environmental hazards of fine lead dusts mean that minimising dust emissions during ship-loading is critical for industry, yet there is limited information on controlling such emissions for lead powder. This study investigated and quantified the impact of moisture on lead dust emissions via both single drop and continuous drop tests in the range 0% to 11% moisture. With increasing moisture, image analysis of single drop tests found increased agglomeration of small plate-like particles into larger spherical clusters. Average particle areas of particles dispersed to the outside of a central core of powder were shown to increase linearly in the range 0% to 11% moisture. Continuous drop tests showed that increasing powder moisture from 0% to 7% could reduce dust emissions by three orders of magnitude, demonstrating the importance and potential benefits of moisture control in ship-loading operations. Modelling of bulk lead powder and lead particle drying were used to identify critical issues and constraints in controlling moisture. Humidity control was identified as a critical control measure during the final stage of ship-loading, where drying rates are fast.
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