Source Control Technology - Particulates

Control of particulate pollutants from stationary sources

Control techniques for particles focus on capturing the particles emitted by a pollution source. Several factors must be considered before choosing a particulate control device. Typically, particles are collected and channeled through a duct or stack. The characteristics of the particulate exhaust stream affect the choice of the control device. These characteristics include the range of particle sizes, the exhaust flow rate, the temperature, the moisture content, and various chemical properties such as explosiveness, acidity, alkalinity, and flammability.

The most commonly used control devices for controlling particulate emissions include: electrostatic precipitators, fabric filters, venture scrubbers, cyclones, and settling chambers. In many cases, more than one of these devices is used in a series to obtain the desired removal efficiencies. For example, a settling chamber can be used to remove larger particles before a pollutant stream enters an electrostatic precipitator.