An experimental platform was established in order to study the motion characteristics and mechanical behavior of fine particles in an electrostatic precipitator utilizing a heat exchange mechanism. The concentration of fine particles in different states was tested. The force behavior model of particles was established in order to analyze their motion characteristics. The results show that the thermophoretic effect led to a reduction in the size range of the entrained particles and the size range of particles settling efficiently expanded. As compared to the dry state, the removal efficiency of particles in the heat exchange state, smaller than 0.3 mu m. greatly improved and that of 0.01 mu m particles improved by 30%. The re-entrainment depended on the magnitude of F-m + F-i and F-v + F-J, the heat exchange effect led to an increase in the in-layer force due to an electric field. F-m, van der Waals force, F-v, the electrostatic attraction force, F-J, and the repulsion forces, F-i. It was observed that the size of F-m + F-i and F-v + F-J was not much different. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.