The report reviews electrostatic augmentation of control devices for fine particulate: the addition of electrical forces to scrubbing and filtration and the enhancement of electrostatic precipitation. It gives the major electrostatic force equations and their evaluation for some reasonable values of particle and collector charge and geometry. It includes a bibliography on electrostatic augmentation. It analyzes the following programs on electrostatic augmentation of filters, scrubbers, and electrostatic precipitators: fiber beds used to capture particles electrostatically, dust/fabric electrostatic effects, electric fields applied across filters or generated within filters, a collector using oppositely charged particles and droplets, a charged droplet scrubber (accelerates droplets electrostatically and uses them to transfer charge to particles for electrostatic precipitation), various polarities and configurations for charged droplet scrubbing of charged particles, nuclear radiation used to charge particles for electrostatic precipitation, various configurations and uses for an 'electric curtain,' and improvement of particle-charging in connection with precharging chambers. Other research in electrostatic augmentation, especially on filters, is discussed briefly. Analysis of two other possible systems is presented: an electrostatically augmented cyclone and a foam scrubber that uses particle precharging.

"March 1976." Cover title. Prepared by GCS Corporation, Bedford, Massachusetts, under contract no. 68-02-1316, task 7, ROAP no. 21ADL-029, program element no. 1AB012. Includes appendices. Includes bibliographical references.