Dust Suppression

On the face of it, it’s a simple thing, dust, but it has come to be realized in the last decades that dust and fine particle emission has not only a nuisance value but poses a greater risk to health if not controlled. In the USA alone there are over 2 million kilometers of unpaved roads and in Canada over 600,000 Km.

From reductions in visibility, such as dust clouds blocking visibility on dirt highways to the stabilization of Coal tips, dust poses a risk to people and the environment. In opencast mines and underground mines dust can pose an even greater risk to health, equipment and the environment. To combat this issue, water is sometimes used as a dust control measure. However, when used alone, water will evaporate causing dust to become airborne again quickly increasing the need for a higher frequency of treatment.

Specialized additives can be safely added at low concentrations to enhance the effectiveness of water, saving time, energy and costs. Water based treatment chemicals can also be mixed with natural roadways to steady structures and bind the dust together to form a harder wearing and stabilized roadway capable of reducing the release of dust during wind and vehicle movement.

The FUCHS Global Mining R&D team has researched and developed a new range of dust suppression products based on sound chemistry to fulfill three key applications for control of hazardous dust in the Industrial sector.

1.     An easily diluted wetting agent designed to knock down dust particles in applications such as underground coal mines where the spray applied fluid wets and coats the particles and reduces the fine dust from the Coal shearing process. Dust suppression is vital to reduce the risks from Silicate and respirable coal dust responsible for Lung disease in the mining industry.

2.     A universal dust suppressant wetting agent and natural roadway stabilizer which can be mixed or sprayed onto roadways so that vehicle movement does not release clouds of dust into the environment. Such a treatment can also help reduce mud formation when it rains making the natural Roadway more stable and less prone to erosion and becoming a skid pan.

3.     Finally, for stabilization of coal heaps and rail transport, a lock down product which can prevent emissions during transport and high winds inhibiting local and wider release from trains, trucks and static coal storage.

FUCHS has also developed a patent pending dust suppression cabinet, a novel design combining controlled air flow and direction, temperature, vibration and particle counting to monitor airborne particle release under controlled conditions.  This lead to the development of a complete RENOCLEAN AIR dust control solution designed to suppress dust for all forms of mining and to serve as a dilutor in water-based applications.

 RENOCLEAN AIR

• Improvement of air-quality
• Increased visibility
• Reduction of housekeeping
• Lower maintenance costs.
• Globally available formulations
• Reduced water consumption
• Worldwide technical back-up
• No hazard labelling
• Non-corrosive
• Easy mix and application
• Low odor
• May reduce explosion hazards

RENOCLEAN AIR

SPRAY-DOWN

• Additive for water-spray systems. A potent combination of wetting agents; effective even at high dilutions: typically applied at 0.05%.
• Greatly increases the ability of water to adhere to and spread-out over air-borne particles.
• Improves the ability of water to penetrate and dampen loose surfaces. Facilitates the de-scaling in piping, cooling and spray systems.
• Reduction of deposits and maintenance cost. Suitable for underground applications - including longwall production, crushers and belt-transfer points. Also, suitable for above ground spray-down applications.

RENOCLEAN AIR

HOLD-DOWN

• General purpose; for above-ground mining activities, applying to stockpiles and haulage roads. Typically utilized at 1-5% dependent on application.
• Combination of natural binding and wetting agents. On evaporation of the diluent water, the residues bond particles together to hold dust down.
• Additionally, the product has a humectant property that helps retain latent moisture.

RenoClean AIR

LOCK DOWN

• A high performance dispersed polymeric binding agent. On evaporation of the diluent water, the residues cure to form a resilient, flexible film that locks the dust down by crusting loose surfaces. Typically applied at 5-10%.
• Robust and persistent control against the effects of wind, vehicles and heavy equipment. Long-lasting and rain-resistant.
• Excellent choice of product for application as a rail-car topper. Able to withstand vibration, movement and air flow during long haul transportation without re-application.
• Also, suitable for making semi-permanent road surfaces; applied as a superior functioning binder.
• RENOCLEAN AIR LOCK-DOWN may additionally be considered for the ‘veneering’ of inactive stockpiles to prevent fugitive dust emission. May also reduce inventory loss and pile run-off.