Advisor(s)
Jonghwa Oh
Committee Member(s)
Claudiu Lungu
Jeffrey Wickliffe
Jonghwa Oh
School
School of Public Health
Document Type
Thesis
Department (new version)
Environmental Health Sciences
Date of Award
1-6-2025
Abstract
The purpose of this research was to understand the potential relationship between the molten iron chemistry of a cupola furnace and airborne contaminants. Three-day air sampling was performed for the emissions of a cupola furnace using 37 mm mixed cellulose ester (MCE) filter cassettes at an iron foundry. The samples were analyzed for 21 elements and compounds by a commercial laboratory using the modified National Institude for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Method 7303, most of which were metals. The concentrations of 13 out of 21 elements and compounds were compared to the corresponding elements in molten metal/iron stream analyzed in house by the company. While the results showed a complex relationship between the molten iron chemistry of a cupola furnace and airborne contaminants, some patterns were observed. Most elements, including Aluminum (Al), Arsenic (As), Chromium (Cr), Magnesium (Mg), Nickle (Ni), Antimony (Sb), Thallium (Tl), and Vanadium (V), remained below their respective limit of detections (LODs) in all air samples. Zinc oxide (ZnO) was the most prominent airborne contaminant while the molten iron composition of Zn was in the lower range, more likely due to its lower boiling point. The iron oxide (FeO) air concentrations were lower than ZnO while Fe consisted of the majority of the molten iron, which may be also explained by the boiling point of Fe which is much higher than Zn. Considerable daily variations in the air sampling results were observed, which requires more thorough investigations on the relationship between the cupola emissions and molten iron composition.
ProQuest ID
Recommended Citation
Rowe, Darkeya D., "The Relationship Between Molten Iron Chemistry Of A Cupola Furnace And Airborne Contaminants" (2025). All ETDs from UAB. 7319.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/7319
