Physical and Morphological Characterization of Cement Particles for Adaptability to Electrostatic Precipitator Control
Published: 2020-08-06
Page: 217-225
Issue: 2020 - Volume 3 [Issue 3]
Jacob Ademola Sonibare
Environmental Engineering Research Laboratory, Chemical Engineering Department, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
Stephen Ayodele Odewale *
Environmental Engineering Research Laboratory, Chemical Engineering Department, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
Tunde Victor Ojumu
Department of Chemical Engineering, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville, South Africa.
Abiola Ezekiel Taiwo
Department of Chemical Engineering, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville, South Africa.
Abiola Ezekiel Taiwo
Department of Chemical Engineering, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville, South Africa.
Miranda Waldron
Electron Microscope Unit, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This study characterized the sizes, shape and surface properties of Nigerian cement particles and investigated how the features affect the performance of Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP), a commonly employed particulate control device. Samples of cement powder were collected across existing cement plants in Nigeria and analyzed using standard laboratory methods. The particles have a broad size distribution and the sizes ranged roughly between 10 µm and 100 µm. The mass mean diameter is within 94.8 µm – 95.6 µm indicating that the samples are composed mainly large diameter particles. Regarding shape, the particles of the cement powder have no symmetry but exhibited strong cohesion with one another. The findings of this study have concluded that the physical and structural characteristics of Nigerian cement dust are adaptable to the design and operation of an efficient ESP. Therefore, reasons for the unsatisfactory performance of employed ESP in Nigerian cement manufacturing plants need to be traced to other factors.
Keywords: Cement powder, electrostatic precipitator, Nigeria, scanning electron microscope, size distribution.