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2071777 
Journal Article 
Cotton Dust Characterization: A Comparison Of Sonically Separated Fine Dust (Less Than 20 Micrometers) With Respirable (Vertical Elutriator) Dusts 
Fornes, RE; Gilbert, RD 
1984 
1 
Textile Research Journal
ISSN: 0040-5175
EISSN: 1746-7748 
NIOSH/00144349 
54 
1 
68-74 
Properties of cotton dust samples from vertical elutriators and small particle size samples separated from card room condenser trash material were compared. Samples from card room condenser trash were sonically separated into those less than 20 micrometers (microm) in diameter and those 20 to 38microm in diameter and examined microscopically. Analyses of these materials based on average ash contents and dust analyses by X-ray fluorescence and atomic absorption were compared to those of vertical elutriator samples collected in the same experimental card room. The average ash contents of the trash samples were about 38 percent and 26 percent of dry weight for the smaller and larger diameter particles, respectively. Microscopic observation showed the 20 to 38microm samples to contain a significantly larger amount of lint fragments than those less than 20microm. Analysis of calcium (7440702), silicon (7440213), potassium (7440097), magnesium (7439954), zinc (7440666), aluminum (7429905), iron (7439896), and copper (7440508) in these samples showed that elemental profiles for the most prevalent elements (calcium, silica, and potassium) were approximately the same for less than 20microm dusts, 20 to 38microm dusts, and vertical elutriator dusts in the model card room. The authors conclude that dusts separated by sonic sifting into less than 20microm fractions from card room condenser trash are very similar in inorganic content to the dust collected in the same environment on vertical elutriator filters. Samples of 20 to 38microm dusts are also chemically very similar to samples less than 20microm and vertical elutriator samples, except that the former contains higher organic fractions probably due to lint. It is suggested therefore that samples of dust less than 20microm in diameter collected from card room condenser trash could be used for investigation of the chemical and biological properties of cotton dust where large amounts of dust are needed.