Loadability of high gradient magnetic gas filter matrix

The dust loading characteristics of an HGMF filter were investigated with basic oxygen furnace dust in air. The HGMF matrix consisted of loosely packed rectangular AISI 430 stainless steel wool in a 98.4 mm bore. Particle sizes and concentrations were determined using an optical particle spectrometer. Loadability is a measure of the mass of dust the matrix can hold as a multiple of the matrix mass without significant deterioration in efficiency. Loadability improved with applied magnetic-field, with little further improvement as particle saturation was approached. At such fields, no loadability limit was determined when the packing fraction was halved (0.005), the matrix then holding dust of 6 times its own mass. Large proportions of the dust were collected on the front face of the matrix, the proportion increasing with field and reducing with gas velocity.