Industrial Dust Removal Conditions by Sector
Every dust collection point across five industries, with its operating temperature, dust conditions and the filter media specified for it.
Steelmaking
Raw Material Prep
D1 · Ore Crushing & Screening
- Operating temperature
- Ambient < 60°C
- Dust conditions
- High dust concentration, highly abrasive mineral dust, dry, near-neutral chemistry.
- Recommended filter media
- Abrasion-led, low temperature — polyester (PET) needle felt is the economical workhorse.
- Why this media
- Dry abrasive mineral dust wears low-abrasion media; PET balances cost and wear life.
Coking
D2 · Coke Oven Charging & Pushing
- Operating temperature
- High temp, hooded & cooled (source peaks 300–500°C)
- Dust conditions
- Fine coke breeze, tar/pitch vapors, SO₂/NOx; abrasive; intermittent. Needs thermal + chemical resistance.
- Recommended filter media
- PPS for acid/thermal duty at the cooled bag inlet; PTFE membrane to shed sticky tar.
- Why this media
- Tar-laden coke-pushing gas blinds bare felts; membrane-protected PPS holds emissions and cleanability.
Sintering
D3 · Sinter Machine Head Main Exhaust
- Operating temperature
- High temp / high moisture ~150–200°C
- Dust conditions
- High moisture, SOx/NOx, heavy metals, ultra-fine alkaline dust, sticky. High acid dew-point corrosion risk.
- Recommended filter media
- PPS base + PTFE membrane to handle sticky dust and prevent blinding.
- Why this media
- A large steel group: PTFE-membrane PPS resolved frequent blinding; emissions stayed below 10 mg/Nm³.
D4 · Sinter Discharge & Screening
- Operating temperature
- Medium temp ~120–160°C
- Dust conditions
- Large gas volume, highly abrasive sinter particles, high mechanical dust load.
- Recommended filter media
- Abrasion-led at medium temperature — aramid (Nomex) needle felt.
- Why this media
- Coarse abrasive sinter scours low-abrasion media; aramid extends bag life.
Ironmaking (BF)
D5 · Blast Furnace Cast House
- Operating temperature
- High/medium temp ~100–200°C
- Dust conditions
- Iron oxide fumes, graphite flakes, fine dust, alkaline components, trace CO.
- Recommended filter media
- Aramid (Nomex) for hot abrasive fume duty; match rating to actual gas temperature.
- Why this media
- Cast-house fume mixes hot iron-oxide and graphite; high-abrasion media resists scouring.
Steelmaking (BOF/EAF)
D6 · Converter Primary Flue Gas (dry, cooled)
- Operating temperature
- Cooled bag inlet (source > 1000°C)
- Dust conditions
- Bag filtration applies only downstream of dry cooling, in non-recovery (flare) mode. Primary gas during CO recovery leaves the vessel at 1400–1800°C with 60–90% CO and is handled by a wet OG or dry LT (evaporative cooler + dry ESP) system, not by fabric filters. Ultra-fine iron oxide fume; explosion hazard.
- Recommended filter media
- Aramid (Nomex) + PTFE membrane for ultra-fine fume; anti-static mandatory for CO/explosion safety.
- Why this media
- Dry converter dedusting (LT process) uses anti-static media after evaporative cooling.
D7 · Converter Secondary Flue Gas
- Operating temperature
- Medium temp ~80–120°C
- Dust conditions
- Large volume fluctuations, highly intermittent, heavy smoke during charging and tapping.
- Recommended filter media
- Polyester (PET) at low operating temperature — economical for intermittent fume capture.
- Why this media
- Secondary fume runs cool and intermittent; PET needle felt is the standard economical spec.
D9 · Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) — no flux
- Operating temperature
- Medium temp ~100–200°C
- Dust conditions
- High dust load; contains non-ferrous metal dust, VOCs and dioxins. Hot, fine fume. Confirm whether fluorspar (CaF₂) is charged as slag flux — it releases HF and rules out all glass-bearing media.
- Recommended filter media
- Aramid (Nomex) + PTFE membrane for hot fine fume and dioxin-bearing dust.
- Why this media
- EAF off-gas is hot and fume-heavy; membrane-protected aramid captures sub-micron fume.
D9b · Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) — fluorspar charging
- Operating temperature
- Medium temp ~100–200°C
- Dust conditions
- As D9, but fluorspar (CaF₂) is charged as slag flux: the melt releases HF, which etches glass filament. All glass-bearing media (glass fibre, FMS) are prohibited.
- Recommended filter media
- HF service — P84 / PTFE / PPS only, with a PTFE membrane for sub-micron fume. Glass-fibre and FMS are prohibited.
- Why this media
- Fluorspar-charging shops are the classic HF failure case: glass-bearing media loses strength within months.
Refining & Casting
D8 · Ladle Refining Furnace
- Operating temperature
- Medium temp ~100–150°C
- Dust conditions
- Fine alloy smoke, metal oxide fumes, intermittent operating cycles.
- Recommended filter media
- Polyester (PET) for low-temperature alloy fume; step up to PPS if gas runs hotter.
- Why this media
- Ladle furnace fume is fine but cool; PET suffices with conservative face velocity.
Cement
Raw Material Prep
C1 · Crusher & Raw Material Handling
- Operating temperature
- Ambient
- Dust conditions
- Low temperature, high dust load, heavily abrasive limestone and mineral dust.
- Recommended filter media
- Abrasion-led, low temperature — polyester (PET) needle felt.
- Why this media
- Abrasive limestone wears soft media; PET balances wear life and cost.
Raw Meal Grinding
C2 · Raw Meal Mill Exhaust
- Operating temperature
- Medium temp ~80–100°C
- Dust conditions
- High dust concentration, moderate moisture, medium particle fineness.
- Recommended filter media
- Polyester (PET) needle felt — the standard economical raw-mill spec.
- Why this media
- Warm raw-mill gas suits PET; add a finish for moisture margin.
Preheat / Kiln / Cooling
C3 · Kiln Tail Exhaust — preheater + waste-heat recovery
- Operating temperature
- Medium-high temp ~160–180°C (after WHR boiler)
- Dust conditions
- High dust load, very fine particles, corrosive gases (NOx, SO₂, alkaline vapors), moderate-to-high moisture. Needs acid/alkali resistance.
- Recommended filter media
- Waste-heat recovery drops the gas to ≈175°C, where PPS is sufficient — the expensive P84/PTFE grade is not required here.
- Why this media
- Aramid failed by hydrolysis in ~6 months; P84/PTFE stabilized life beyond 2 years.
C3b · Kiln Tail Exhaust — no heat recovery
- Operating temperature
- High temp ~180–240°C
- Dust conditions
- High dust load, very fine particles, corrosive gases (NOx, SO₂, alkaline vapors), moderate-to-high moisture. Needs acid/alkali resistance.
- Recommended filter media
- Without heat recovery the gas stays at ~200°C: P84 / PTFE for the harshest duty on the line.
- Why this media
- Aramid failed by hydrolysis in ~6 months; P84/PTFE stabilized life beyond 2 years.
C4 · Kiln Head Grate Cooler
- Operating temperature
- High/medium temp ~130–180°C (after dilution/heat exchange)
- Dust conditions
- High air volume, heavily abrasive clinker dust, low moisture, prone to sudden temperature spikes. Assumes an emergency dilution damper / quench trip is fitted — without it, model the peak at 300°C.
- Recommended filter media
- Abrasion-led — aramid (Nomex); guard temperature spikes with a glass/membrane upgrade if surges exceed the rating.
- Why this media
- Coarse hard clinker rapidly wears low-abrasion media; aramid resists scouring.
Cement Grinding
C5 · Cement Mill & Separator
- Operating temperature
- Medium temp ~90–110°C
- Dust conditions
- Ultra-fine finished cement dust, exceptionally high dust concentration, highly abrasive.
- Recommended filter media
- Polyester (PET) — high-abrasion economical spec for cement grinding.
- Why this media
- Ultra-fine high-concentration cement dust needs abrasion-resistant felt; PET is standard.
Storage & Packing
C6 · Cement Packaging & Bulk Loading
- Operating temperature
- Ambient / low temp
- Dust conditions
- High concentration of finished cement dust, ultra-fine particles. Sensitive to ambient moisture (caking/blinding risk).
- Recommended filter media
- Polyester (PET) with a PTFE membrane to capture ultra-fine dust and resist caking.
- Why this media
- Ultra-fine cement at packing blinds bare felts; membrane keeps cleanability.
Coal-Fired Power
Coal Storage & Bunker
P1 · Coal Storage Yard & Crushing
- Operating temperature
- Ambient
- Dust conditions
- High dust load, highly flammable/explosive coal dust. Anti-static required.
- Recommended filter media
- Anti-static polyester (PET) — conductive media to safely dissipate static.
- Why this media
- Coal handling requires grounded anti-static media to prevent ignition.
Coal Pulverization
P2 · Coal Pulverizer / Grinding Vent
- Operating temperature
- Medium temp ~60–80°C
- Dust conditions
- Ultra-fine coal dust, high dust-explosion risk. Anti-static + flame-retardant mandatory.
- Recommended filter media
- Anti-static, flame-retardant polyester (PET) + PTFE membrane for ultra-fine capture.
- Why this media
- Pulverizer vents are an explosion hot-spot; FR anti-static media is mandatory.
Boiler & Flue Gas
P3 · Boiler Flue Gas Fly Ash (Main Filter)
- Operating temperature
- High temp ~120–160°C
- Dust conditions
- Massive flue gas volume, abrasive fly ash, SO₂/SO₃/NOx, heavy metal traces. Acid dew-point risk at start/stop.
- Recommended filter media
- Quality PPS with strict temperature control; PPS/PTFE blend when conditions are unstable; PTFE membrane for ultra-low emission.
- Why this media
- A 600MW unit: pure PPS lasted ~18 months; PPS/PTFE extended life to 36+ months.
FGD (DeSOx)
P4 · FGD Inlet Flue Gas Conditioning
- Operating temperature
- Medium temp ~90–120°C
- Dust conditions
- Fine residual fly ash, highly humid near the wet scrubber inlet, potential acid-mist condensation.
- Recommended filter media
- Acid-resistant acrylic (PMIA) or PPS with a PTFE membrane; manage dew-point margin against condensation.
- Why this media
- Near the scrubber, condensation risk is real; membrane media protects against acid mist.
P5 · Limestone Preparation
- Operating temperature
- Ambient
- Dust conditions
- High concentration of limestone dust, heavily abrasive, low moisture.
- Recommended filter media
- Abrasion-led, low temperature — polyester (PET) needle felt.
- Why this media
- Limestone prep is a dry abrasive duty; PET gives the best wear/cost balance.
P6 · FGD Gypsum Handling
- Operating temperature
- Low temp / high humidity < 50°C
- Dust conditions
- Extremely humid air, highly sticky and damp gypsum dust. Requires water/oil-repellent (hydrophobic) media.
- Recommended filter media
- Hydrolysis-resistant acrylic (PMIA) or PPS with a hydrophobic PTFE membrane to shed damp sticky gypsum.
- Why this media
- Damp gypsum blinds untreated felts; hydrophobic membrane keeps cleanability.
Ash Handling
P7 · Fly Ash Silo Vent
- Operating temperature
- Medium temp ~60–90°C
- Dust conditions
- Large pneumatic discharge volume, dry fine fly ash, mildly abrasive and alkaline.
- Recommended filter media
- Polyester (PET) needle felt — economical for dry alkaline silo-vent duty.
- Why this media
- Dry fly-ash silo venting suits PET; alkali tolerance and abrasion are adequate.
Non-Ferrous (Cu/Al)
Sorting & Shredding
NF-D1 · Scrap Sorting & Mechanical Shredding
- Operating temperature
- Ambient
- Dust conditions
- Mechanical dust, metallic fines, fibers, and organic debris from electronic/industrial scrap.
- Recommended filter media
- Polyester (PET) needle felt for dry mechanical dust.
- Why this media
- Mixed mechanical scrap dust is a low-temp abrasive duty; PET is standard.
Smelting Furnace
NF-D2 · Melting Furnace Charging & Preprocessing
- Operating temperature
- High/medium temp ~80–140°C
- Dust conditions
- Metallurgical fumes, vaporized oils/greases from contaminated scrap, VOCs. High oily-binding risk — needs oil/water repellency.
- Recommended filter media
- Polyester (PET) with an oil/water-repellent PTFE membrane to resist oily binding.
- Why this media
- Oily scrap fume binds bare felts; membrane + repellent finish keeps bags clean.
NF-D3 · Copper Smelting Furnace Main Exhaust
- Operating temperature
- High temp ~150–220°C (after cooling)
- Dust conditions
- Extremely high SO₂, sub-micron heavy-metal oxide fumes (Cu, Pb, Zn). Exceptionally high acid corrosion risk.
- Recommended filter media
- PTFE for its chemical inertness against high SO₂; PTFE membrane for sub-micron fume.
- Why this media
- High-SO₂ copper smelting degrades most polymers; PTFE delivers reliable life.
NF-D4 · Aluminum Melting Furnace Exhaust
- Operating temperature
- High temp ~130–180°C
- Dust conditions
- Corrosive salt fluxes (NaCl, KCl), fluorides, chlorides, fine alumina. Hygroscopic, sticky; chemical-attack risk. HF present prohibits glass-fiber media.
- Recommended filter media
- PPS with a PTFE membrane; upgrade to full PTFE under heavy fluoride/salt loading. Glass-fiber media prohibited (HF).
- Why this media
- Fluoride/chloride salts attack many fabrics; HF presence rules out glass composites.
Flux & Refining
NF-D5 · Refining Furnace Fume Control
- Operating temperature
- Medium-high temp ~120–160°C
- Dust conditions
- Fine alloy smoke, volatilized metal oxides, highly intermittent batch cycles.
- Recommended filter media
- Aramid (Nomex) + PTFE membrane for hot fine alloy fume.
- Why this media
- Refining fume is fine and hot; membrane-protected aramid captures sub-micron oxides.
Casting & Flue Gas
NF-D6 · Casting & Laundering Exhaust
- Operating temperature
- Medium-low temp ~60–90°C
- Dust conditions
- Intermittent fume during metal pouring, low dust concentration, fine sub-micron metal oxides.
- Recommended filter media
- Polyester (PET) with a PTFE membrane for low-temp sub-micron fume.
- Why this media
- Casting fume is cool and fine; membrane improves sub-micron capture on PET.
Dross Handling
NF-D7 · Smelter Slag / Secondary Dross Processing
- Operating temperature
- Medium temp ~80–120°C
- Dust conditions
- High dust concentration, heavily abrasive dross. Aluminum dross must avoid high moisture (reactive gas release).
- Recommended filter media
- Abrasion-led, dry — polyester (PET) needle felt; keep the gas dry for aluminum dross.
- Why this media
- Abrasive dross wears soft media; dry operation prevents reactive gas with aluminum dross.
Biomass Power
Raw Material Prep
B1 · Fuel Crushing (Explosion-Proof)
- Operating temperature
- Ambient
- Dust conditions
- High dust concentration, abrasive biomass dust, explosive. Anti-static required.
- Recommended filter media
- Anti-static polyester (PET) — conductive media for explosive biomass dust.
- Why this media
- Biomass dust is explosive; grounded anti-static media prevents ignition.
Fuel Handling & Storage
B2 · Silo Vent (Feeder Top)
- Operating temperature
- Low temp
- Dust conditions
- Silo/feeder venting of dry biomass dust; combustible. Anti-static required.
- Recommended filter media
- Anti-static polyester (PET) for dry combustible silo-vent dust.
- Why this media
- Silo venting handles dry combustible dust; anti-static media is the safe spec.
Combustion & Steam
B4 · Boiler Tail-Gas Dust Point
- Operating temperature
- Medium-high temp ~140–180°C
- Dust conditions
- High moisture, alkali metals. Needs hydrolysis resistance.
- Recommended filter media
- PPS + PTFE composite, hydrolysis-resistant, for the cooled tail gas.
- Why this media
- Biomass tail gas is humid and alkaline; hydrolysis-resistant PPS+PTFE holds up.
Byproduct Handling
B5 · Ash Handling Dust Point
- Operating temperature
- Medium temp ~60–100°C
- Dust conditions
- Dry alkaline ash/slag silo venting, mildly abrasive.
- Recommended filter media
- Polyester (PET) needle felt for dry alkaline ash handling.
- Why this media
- Dry ash venting suits PET; alkali tolerance and abrasion are adequate.