Temperature fractionation of mercury in the cement production process using quadrupole mass spectrometry

The main purpose of this work was to assess the potential of using temperature-programmed desorption coupled to quadrupole mass spectrometry to study the mercury partitioning in the cement production. This information is of significance to understanding mercury's migration and partitioning in the production process. In conventional raw materials—limestone, mercury is matrix-bound, but with the introduction of other mineral components, this stability is variable. In raw mills, mercury exhibits three distinct fractions that remain until the raw meal is dispatched in the preheater. Mercury collected in dust from fabric filters was desorbed at 200–250 °C, indicating the presence of chloro-containing mercury compounds to be the predominant form. Clinker had a low content of mercury primarily present as a very stable fraction. These results add to the current knowledge of mercury behavior in the cement production process and can be used to support the development of control technologies.