US: 877.464.2728
Outside US: 412.344.1870

Aluminum and Steel Rolling Mills

Rolling Mill Fume ExhaustAluminum and steel hot and cold rolling mills can produce significant levels of oil mist/liquid particulate, visible emissions, and/or volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. Emissions occur as a result of coolant evaporation in the mill, and will vary by coolant type and quantity used. Mills may be required to reduce emissions of any or all of these contaminants to meet regulations.  

APC has designed and provided systems to successfully address the emissions at a number of aluminum rolling mills.  APC uses its unique UHF® Filter technology for removal of oil mist/condensed fumes, fine particulate matter, and visible emissions/opacity. The UHF® Filter technology is ideal for handling the fine oil mist emitted from these sources, as it is designed to not plug up or blind off when used to treat oily/sticky particulate emissions.  APC’s UHF® Filter systems are higher performing and substantially less expensive than competing options, and provide operators with the ability to perform media changeouts without shutting down the process.  Removal efficiencies for the oil mist/liquid particulate are on the order of 99% and higher.  Where advantageous, the UHF® Filter unit is preceded by an upstream high-efficiency coalescer-mist eliminator specially designed for and well proven in treating rolling mist exhaust streams.

From an air emission control standpoint, there are many commonalities between steel rolling mill applications and aluminum rolling mill applications, with the primary exception being that there can be a much higher level of solid particulate in exhaust gases from steel mills. This makes APC’s unique UHF® Filter technology even more advantageous compared to competing progressive purification systems, deep-bed or candle filters, and other mist eliminators, since these latter systems cannot deal with meaningful levels of solid or semi-solid particulate without rapid plugging, overly-frequent changeouts with associated mill downtime, and exorbitant annual operating and maintenance costs.

Hood, enclosure, and ductwork design on aluminum and steel rolling mill projects are typically a critical portion of the project for uncontrolled/unvented mills, and APC can provide these services via a partnership with a firm that has decades of successful hood and ventilation system designs for rolling mills.

Click here for a case study of an aluminum rolling mill project.