Fine Dust Creation during Hardwood Machine Sanding

Marta Pędzik,Jerzy Majka,Petar Antov,Martin Kučerka,Kinga Stuper-Szablewska,Tomasz Rogoziński,Lubos Kristak,Richard Kminiak

doi:10.3390/app11146602

Abstract

Wood dust generated during woodworking—particularly from hardwood species during sanding—poses a health and safety hazard to workers in the wood industry. This study aimed to determine the particle-size distribution of selected hardwood species and the content of fine particles in dust created during machine sanding, which pose the highest health and safety hazards in the woodworking industry. Six hardwood species were studied: black alder, European ash, common walnut, pedunculate oak, hornbeam, and European beech. The sieve analysis method was used to determine the particle-size distribution and article mean arithmetic particle diameter, and laser diffraction analysis was used to determine the finest particle content. Two size ranges were assumed: <2.5 μm and <10 μm. Beech dust had the smallest mean particle diameter. Dust from wood species used in the test had similar contents of fine fractions of particles. The average content of particles smaller than 2.5 µm in wood dust from the tested hardwood species did not exceed 1.9%. In terms of occupational exposure to wood dust, machine sanding conditions of hardwoods should be properly adjusted to limit the formation of large amounts of dust.

Highlights

IntroductionMechanical woodworking is an essential part of wood-product manufacturing, e.g., furniture and flooring
Sieve analysis and laser diffraction analysis, were used to determination the particle-size distribution and content of very fine particles in dust generated during the machine sanding of six hardwood species
Oak dust had the highest content of particles smaller 10 μm, but the results were not statistically significantly higher than the values obtained for beech, ash, or hornbeam wood dust

Summary

Introduction

Mechanical woodworking is an essential part of wood-product manufacturing, e.g., furniture and flooring. Surface sanding is an important component of the process, producing smooth surfaces to ensure higher adhesion of applied impregnating agents, paints, and varnishes. The dust created during this process is deposited on floors, walls, and working surfaces in the production facilities and hinders the operation of rotating machine components [1,2,3]. Dust with particle sizes significantly smaller than 100 μm remains suspended in the air, posing health risks for workers and creating additional workplace risks by limiting visibility and increasing the risk of fire [4,5,6,7,8,9]. A considerable amount of heat is generated by woodworking machines, which may ignite settled dust [10]

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