Venturi wet dust collector: a practical equipment for dust control in the tire manufacturing industry

Tire manufacturing involves multiple processes such as rubber ingredients, carbon black addition, mixing, cutting, grinding and post-processing. Some processes will produce carbon black dust, rubber particles, filler dust and high-temperature dusty waste gas. If these pollutants are not effectively collected, they will not only affect the workshop environment, but may also increase equipment dust accumulation and production management difficulties.

The Venturi wet dust collector uses the joint action of high-speed airflow and spray liquid to wet, collide, condense and separate dust particles from the airflow. It is suitable for some exhaust gas working conditions with high concentration, fine particles, viscosity or that require simultaneous cooling.

1. Working principle of Venturi wet dust collector

After dust-containing gas enters the Venturi tube, it is accelerated in the throat area. The spray liquid is broken into fine droplets under the action of high-speed airflow, and fully collides with the dust particles in the airflow.

After being wetted by the liquid droplets, the particulate matter gradually condenses into larger dust-containing droplets, and then enters the gas-liquid separation device. Dust-containing droplets are separated from the air flow under the action of centrifugal force, gravity or mist removal structure, and the purified gas is discharged from the equipment outlet.

The collected dust enters the water tank or sedimentation area with the circulating fluid, and is then processed through sedimentation, filtration, water replenishment and sewage discharge.

2. Main application links in tire manufacturing

1. Adding carbon black and powdery raw materials: dealing with the dust generated during the unpacking, weighing and feeding processes of carbon black, silica, fillers and additives.

2. Rubber crushing and cutting: Collect the particles produced during the crushing process of rubber raw materials, scraps and recycled materials.

3. Rubber mixing: used for pretreatment of dusty waste gas during partial mixing, feeding and unloading.

4. Grinding and dressing: dealing with rubber dust during tire surface grinding, tread dressing and rework.

5. High-temperature dusty waste gas: perform front-end treatment on waste gas that needs to be cooled, humidified, and simultaneously removed from particulate matter.

3. Main features of the equipment

1. Suitable for capturing some fine particles: high-speed airflow can increase the probability of collision between droplets and dust.

2. Can handle some sticky dust: after the dust enters the liquid phase, the risk of the dry filter material being blocked by sticky substances can be reduced.

3. Can reduce secondary dust: after the captured carbon black and rubber particles enter the liquid, they are not easy to fly again.

4. Simultaneous cooling and humidification: suitable for some working conditions where the temperature is relatively high or wet pretreatment is required.

5. The structure can be adjusted according to working conditions: pipe size, spray volume, gas-liquid ratio, material and defogging structure can all be customized.

4. Differences from dry dust removal equipment

The Venturi wet dust collector collects dust through liquid, and is suitable for some viscous, high-temperature and dust that is inconvenient to be treated with ordinary filter bags. Dry bag or cartridge dust collectors are more suitable for working conditions where dry powder needs to be recovered, wastewater cannot be produced or the nature of the dust is suitable for filtration.

Both types of equipment have their own scope of application. Wet dust collectors cannot simply be considered to be more efficient or less expensive to operate than dry equipment in all circumstances. Actual options should be compared based on dust properties, system resistance, wastewater treatment and material recovery needs.

5. About energy saving and operating costs

Venturi wet dust collectors usually have a high system pressure drop, so the fan energy consumption may be higher than ordinary spray towers or some low-resistance dust removal equipment. At the same time, the equipment also requires circulating water pumps, water replenishment, sewage discharge and sludge treatment.

By rationally controlling the air volume, optimizing the throat structure, matching high-efficiency fans and water pumps, and improving the utilization rate of circulating fluid, operating costs can be reduced, but it cannot be simply described as a low-energy-consuming equipment.

6. Effect on production environment and safety management

Proper configuration of the Venturi wet dust removal system can reduce the spread and accumulation of carbon black, rubber particles and filler dust in the workshop, help improve the operating area environment, and reduce the impact of dust on equipment and pipelines.

For dust with combustion or explosion risks, wet treatment may reduce the risk of dust suspension and secondary dust emission, but special safety assessments are still required based on dust characteristics. Wet dust collectors cannot be relied upon to replace complete explosion-proof design and safety management.

7. Ability to deal with organic waste gas and odor

The main function of the Venturi wet dust collector is to capture particulate matter. If vulcanization exhaust gas, rubber odor or volatile organic compounds that are difficult to dissolve in water are produced during the tire manufacturing process, it is usually difficult to fully remove them with ordinary water washing.

In this regard, chemical washing, activated carbon adsorption, condensation recovery, catalytic combustion or other special treatment processes should be configured according to the exhaust gas composition.

8. Parameters that need attention when selecting equipment

1. Actual air volume and daily operating time.

2. Dust name, particle size, concentration, density and hydrophilicity.

3. Exhaust gas temperature, humidity and corrosiveness.

4. Is the dust sticky, abrasive or explosive?

5. Does it contain sulfide exhaust gas, VOCs or obvious odor?

6. Allowable system resistance and fan power.

7. Circulating water, sewage, sludge and wastewater treatment conditions.

8. On-site installation space, interface direction and equipment material requirements.

9. Precautions for operation and maintenance

1. Regularly check whether the nozzles, throats and pipelines are blocked or worn.

2. Clean the circulating water tank, sedimentation area and sewage system regularly.

3. Check whether the mist eliminator is blocked to prevent droplets from being discharged with the air flow.

4. Monitor the system pressure difference, process air volume and circulating fluid level.

5. Replenish, filter or replace the circulating fluid in time according to the degree of pollution.

6. Standardize the collection and disposal of carbon black and rubber sludge.

10. Application suggestions

The Venturi wet dust collector is suitable for some high-concentration dust, sticky particles and exhaust gases that need to be cooled in tire manufacturing, but not all processes are suitable for wet treatment.

For working conditions that require the recycling of carbon black or dry powder raw materials, the generation of wastewater is strictly prohibited, or the main pollutants are insoluble organic waste gases, bag dust removal, cartridge dust removal and organic waste gas purification equipment should be comprehensively selected.

The actual treatment effect of the Venturi wet dust collector is closely related to the dust particle size, throat speed, system pressure difference, spray volume, gas-liquid separation efficiency and wastewater treatment method. Before equipment selection, calculation and design should be carried out based on complete working conditions.

Article introduction: Venturi wet dust collector can be used to treat some carbon black dust, rubber particles and high-temperature dusty exhaust gas during the tire manufacturing process. This article introduces the working principle, application links, main features, operating costs, selection parameters and maintenance requirements of the equipment, providing a reference for tire manufacturing companies to formulate dust control plans.