Dust Collection Essential For Safe Cement Production

There is a wide selection of applications for Industrial Dust Collectors. One industrial environment that requires serious dust collection is a cement plant.  Due to the nature of the process, a dust collector is a vital element in any cement production process.

Dust (particulate matter) in cement production is typically caused by 3 occurrences:

1. Physical Attrition
2. Combustion Particle Burnout
3. Nucleation

As particles abrade against each other, physical attrition occurs.  These particles range in size from less than 10 microns to over 1,000 microns.  Combustion particle burnout describes the residues remaining from the pyroprocess.  Typically, these particles are between one to one hundred microns.  When materials that are in vapor form condense, tiny nucleation particles are generated that usually range in size from 0.1 microns – 1.0 microns.

Fundamental Purposes of Dust Collectors in Cement Production:

• These dust control systems help meet or exceed regulatory requirements by providing low particulate matter emissions levels
• By minimizing localized dust emissions, these units help protect both workers and plant equipment
• Smooth operating system allows for faster and better controlled cement production

Cement manufacturers have been using a variety of high efficiency fabric filters in their dust collectors for decades.  They are used in several different areas of cement production: cement kilns, finish mills, raw mills, material handling systems, bagging and rail load out.  The majority of cement production plants have between 40-80 separate filter control systems.

There are 3 sequential steps in fabric filtration:

1. Filtration of particulate matter from the gas stream
2. Gravity settling of the dust cake
3. Removal from the hopper

To ensure worker safety, employees should be careful to follow all of the manufacturer’s instructions to properly operate and maintain their dust collection system.  There are also government regulations and your own plants safety rules to be adhered to.  This cannot be emphasized enough because of the serious health problems that can occur from being exposed to cement dust.

Health Hazards of Cement Dust:

• Lung function impairment
• Chronic obstructive lung disease
• Restrictive lung disease
• Pneumoconiosis and carcinoma of the lungs, stomach and colon

Cement Exposure Health Hazard Tips From OSHA:

• Avoid prolonged exposure to cement dust
• Avoid cement dust contact with the eyes and skin to prevent irritation and burns
• Wear appropriate personal protection equipment such as gloves, rubber boots, goggles and HEPA-filter respirators
• Wet down dusty areas as appropriate
• Reduce silica exposures during drilling, chipping and sawing of cement materials with controls such as dust collection, wet methods and local exhaust ventilation

To make your dust collection as efficient as possible, it’s important to remember to always properly remove and recycle or dispose of collected cement dust to minimize expose to people and equipment.