Emission characterization of particulate matter in the ironmaking process

The study is to provide a detailed physical and chemical characterization of particles collected in the ironmaking process, including a bunker system, a cast house and a pulverized coal feeding system. Using gravimetric, scanning electron microscope coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS), X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) analyses, the size distribution, morphology, elemental composition and emission factor of particles were investigated. The contribution rates of cast house for emission factors of total suspended particulates (TSP), PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 are the largest, 57.0%, 75.5% and 83.3%, respectively. SEM-EDS analysis indicated that cast house particle shapes are mainly formed by polymerization from spherical particles and ultrafine particles, whose main component is Fe. But, the particles of the bunker system or the pulverized coal feeding system are mainly the large ones of irregular block or powder particles and the main component is carbon. The highest content of the element in particles of the bunker system and cast house is Fe, followed by C, Si, Ca and Al. The main elements of particles in the pulverized coal feeding system are C, Si, Al and Ca, and their contents are 63.6%, 7.83%, 3.07% and 1.47%, respectively.