The migration and transformation characteristics of particulate matter and trace elements in a cement plant

ABSTRACT

The particulate matter (PM) and trace elements (TEs) from industrial kilns have attracted extensive attention due to serious harm to the environment. In this work, the emissions of PM and TEs were investigated in a new dry-process cement plant. The PM was collected through a particle sampling system, and the TEs were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in the collected particle. The results showed significant differences of PM and TEs in the flue gas and hot air. The content of PM₁₀ in flue gas was an order of magnitude higher than that in hot air. The TEs in flue gas were mainly Mn. In hot air, Cr accounted for more than half of the mass concentration of TEs. The conditioning tower could reduce PM₁₀ and TEs in the flue gas. The removal efficiencies were 33.77% and 50.37%, respectively. PM₁₀ and TEs at the end of the kiln were 18.91 mg·m⁻³ and 77.53 μg·m⁻³, respectively. The gravity settler could remove PM₁₀ and TEs well through sedimentation, and the removal efficiencies were 31.11% and 68.18%, respectively, while the exhaust heat boiler of air quenching cooler had little effect on PM₁₀ and TEs in the hot air.

KEYWORDS:

• Cement plant
• particulate matter
• trace element
• environment
• field measurement

Acknowledgments

The work was supported by the Natural Science Basic Research Plan in Shaanxi Province of China-Shaanxi Coal Joint Fund Project (2021JLM-24)

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/15567036.2022.2094505

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Natural Science Basic Research Plan in Shaanxi Province of China-Shaanxi Coal Joint Fund Project [2021JLM-24