Charging particles in precipitators

ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATION derives fundamentally from the mechanical or Coulomb force which is exerted on an electrically charged particle in an electric field. Although other forces of electrical origin may act on particles, these are insignificant compared to the Coulomb force and are of minor importance in electrostatic precipitation. In contrast to electrons and atomic nuclei for which electric charge is a fundamental property, the smoke, fume, fog, and dust particles of technology may be uncharged entirely or charged only to a low degree.