Mineralogy of the Airborne Dust Collected in a Cotton Card Room

Abstract

Ten earth minerals and a number of materials of industrial origin have been identified in the airborne dusts collected on an electrostatic precipitator in a model card room processing cotton. The major mineral components were kaolinite, a mineral derived from fine clayey soils, and limonite (hydrated ferric oxide). Quartz, K-feldspar, and muscovite were present in much smaller amounts. The other five soil-related minerals identified occurred only rarely. Among the materials of industrial origin were rust particles, paint flakes, calcite, steel, brass, and aggregates derived from furnace products. Potassium chloride has also been identified in water extracts of cotton trash.