African Fusion March 2021

Rio-Carb green CrC liner plate

As a market leader in wear solutions for the mining and related industries, R-C700 long-life liner plate fromRio-Carb offers the benefit of significantly reduced greenhouse (GHG) emis- sions for its customers. Rio-Carb design engineer, Roshalan Govender, explains. Wear liner plate: a green alternative

A ccording to design engineer Roshalan Govender, Rio-Carb R-C700 long-life liner plate, which features a chromium carbide (CrC) overlay, will typically outlast quenched and tempered liner products by a factor of eight. “Therefore the carbon footprint of this ‘green steel’ is seven times smaller per installation, translating into amassive reduction in environmental impact and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,” he argues. “An indirect benefit as a result of its immediate and obvious carbon reduction is that transportationof all impliedproducts is reducedby the same factor, thus saving significantly on indirect emissions,” he adds. Reducing GHG to combat climate change is an important goal of the 2015 Paris Agreement, whereby 190 countries have com- mitted to carbon neutrality by 2050. A major focus in this drive is the steel industry, which is among the top threeproducers of carbondioxide, amajor contributor to global warming. The World Steel Association (WSA) reports that every ton of steel produced in 2019 emitted approxi- mately three tonnes of carbon dioxide on average, equivalent to about 8% of global CO 2 emissions. In addition, theWSAhighlights that recycling steel plates produces three times themass inGHG, or three tonnes for every kilogram of steel that is melted. Thus on a chutewith 1 000 tonnes of R-C700 liners, the total lifes- pan saving in terms of GHG is anastonishing 21 tonnes. It is for this reason that Rio-Carb has aligned itself with the ISO 14001 environmental management sys- tem to benchmark its manufacturing processes. The aim is tomanufacture R-C700 long-lifewear liners that conform to the highest possible quality standards, from the stainless steel studs to the Rapid Removal system, tight cutting tolerances and ease of move- ment, coupled with plasma-etched part numbers for easy identification and replacement. “An important criterion for ISO 14001 is resource conservation. Our long-lifewear solutions play a criti- cal role in boostingmaterials-handling efficiency and cost-effectiveness,” comments Rio-Carb marketing and branding director, Jabulile Mlambo. In particular, the CrC liner-plate OEMwill be look- ing to implement ISO 14062 with a focus on concepts and current practices relating to the integration of environmental aspects into product design and development. “Such standards offer an environmen- tally positive option to the mining, steel and cement industries, all of which are under severe pressure fromboth shareholders and the government to dras- tically reduce their carbon footprint,” explains Mlambo. Rio-Carb has therefore launched a campaign to make its cus- tomers and the broader industry aware of the negative impact of GHGand how this risk can best bemitigated. All R-C700wear plates producedbyRio-Carbwill carry a green four-sided logohighlighting the principles of reduce, reuse and recycling. This will also assist in positioning Rio-Carb as a total solutions provider, with CrC providing the lowest total cost of ownership for

Roshalan Govender.

Jabulile Mlambo.

complete wear solutions in the mining industry. “We believe this is the most cost-effective material to combat severe wear. It does present a challenge in terms of those customerswho are set in their ways, but this presents a big opportunity to change the mindset of customers and to show them the myriad advantages of using CrC, which makes a significant contribution to carbon reduction in line with our environmental obligations,” concludes Mlambo. www.riocarb.com Modular chutes and bins, assembled and lined with Rio-Carb’s R-C700 wear panels, will typically outlast quenched and tempered lined products by a factor of eight.

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March 2021

AFRICAN FUSION