Capital Equipment News February 2018

DUST SUPPRESSION

and subsequently reducing road mainte- nance frequency.

Europe, which have since been modified and adjusted for application in both industrial and mining sectors in Africa. I-CAT owns the distribution rights of the Scrub Mist System, a nozzle spray system manufactured in Europe. “Its water usage is very low and it’s very effective in capturing dust around conveyor belts and transfer points,” says Van Rensburg. The technology basically breaks down water drops to below 15 microns and thereby neutralising and controlling dust at the source of emission via the grouping of dust elements into larger agglomerations. Meanwhile, the DustMonster product line provides sound results by creating an ultra-fine mist that attracts dust, encapsu- lating airborne particles and driving them to the ground. The units are fully auto- matic, easily adaptable and completely portable. With its 35 hp motor and us- er-definable 359 degrees oscillation, the DM-110 has a throw of more than 100 m, giving the machine a coverage area of 2,6 hectares. To put that in perspective, one machine could cover five rugby fields with its dust-trapping atomised mist. Another I-CAT offering is the Retract- able Stockpile Dust Ring, which is ideally used at stockpiling conveyor belts. It is said to be a unique solution. “Normally people struggle to do maintenance on

stockpile rings because stockpiling is a continuous process that does not warrant any stoppage. To do maintenance on stockpile rings, one will have to shut the plant down. What makes our Retractable Stockpile Ring unique is that one can retract it to do maintenance while produc- tion is ongoing, significantly increasing uptime,” explains Irving. I-CAT also offers a dust suppression solu- tion for tailing dams. TDS 2005 is a unique environmentally friendly liquid gel used for the suppression of dust on tailing dams and large open soil areas, where it is often a challenge to prevent wind from eroding the very fine dust (<0,1 micron). The solution is a matrix blend of a patented anionic surfactant and other environmentally-friendly binding products. The unique properties of the liquid gel allow the product to penetrate into the surface of the dump and open soil areas, creating a durable bond binding the loose aggregate, by forming a crust. The crust remains porous, allowing rainwater to penetrate, yet it will not be washed away under normal precipitation. “Being an environmentally friendly product, TDS 2005 is not applied to the detriment of the growth of vegetation as a more perma- nent rehabilitation solution,” concludes Van Rensburg. ❂

More road dust control products For road dust control, I-CAT also offers GreenGrip, a polymer-based, gravel road sealant. “It is an environmentally safe alternative to chemically-based products for semi-permanent gravel roads on mines and residential areas where you don’t need continuous application,” explains Van Rensburg. GreenGrip is water-soluble and is also easily incorporated into routine dust sup- pression procedures with no requirement for special equipment or handling precautions. I-CAT also offers GreenBit, a natural bind- ing agent combined with an emulsified bi- tuminous product to create a durable gravel road sealant. GreenBit is said to have been tested extensively on both public and mine haulage roads. It produces an asphalt-like, dust-free surface with lengthy intervals between maintenance applications, making it ideal for permanent roads. Plant area solutions For plant areas, I-CAT offers misting systems which use both compressed air and water. The company acquired the sole distribution rights for sub-Saharan Africa for low pressure misting systems from

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