Chungsik Yoon

Industrial polymer-processing environments can generate substantial ultrafine particle and volatile organic compound (VOC) burdens, yet the role of process-equipment architecture in reducing these emissions under matched operating conditions remains insufficiently quantified. This study evaluated heater architecture as an equipment-level source-reduction factor in full-scale polyolefin extrusion blow molding by comparing conventional band-heated (A-type) and radiant temperature-controlled (B-type) lines, together with a mechanically dominated regrind-disposal comparator. Integrated particle-size distribution (PSD), total suspended particles (TSP), total particle concentration (TPC), VOCs, microscopy, FTIR–ATR, Raman/photoluminescence, Raman mapping, and thermochemical diagnostics were used to characterize process-resolved airborne emission signatures. Under the A-type architecture, extrusion blow molding showed a dominant ultrafine mode near 80 nm, elevated TSP concentrations of 3.51–4.10 × 10⁴ µg·m⁻³, increased TPC of 3.06–3.56 × 10⁹ particles·cm⁻³, and stronger enrichment of alkane-, aromatic-, and oxygenated-VOC classes. Relative to the A-type system, the B-type architecture was associated with an approximately 70% reduction in dominant ultrafine peak intensity, a 64–73% reduction in TSP, a 67–75% reduction in TPC, and an 81–92% reduction in nano-particle number under extrusion blow-molding conditions. Regrind disposal showed fracture-dominated morphology, broader accumulation-to-coarse distributions, and minimal sustained ultrafine enrichment, indicating a mechanically dominated pathway distinct from melt-phase extrusion. These findings identify heater architecture as a practical process-equipment source-reduction factor for lowering airborne particle and VOC burdens in industrial indoor polymer-processing environments.