What are the factors to consider in choosing dust collectors?
A. There are numerous factors to consider: 1. The first factor is dust type: Is it hygroscopic, soluble in water, sticky, flammable, hazardous, explosive? Also, are fumes present? If dusts are hygroscopic or sticky, it’s important that it not clog under any operating condition. A bag house dust collector can clog when material is sticky, or when humidity rises, so these applications are best served with a wet dust collector. Fumes are often present in metalworking shops, and a dust collector that can do “double duty” with dusts and fumes is an excellent answer. 2. Second factor involves characteristics of particles: Are there thin fibers, ragged edges (such as metal fines), something else? Some dust collection systems involve fabric that can wear quickly when exposed to some dusts. 3. Is material entering corrosive? This eliminates several options. If dust is corrosive, a polypropylene dust collector is the best alternative – unless there’s high heat. 4. Fourth factor is micron size, a
