MechChem Africa November-December 2023

⎪ Minerals processing and materials handling ⎪

a rubber pulley had also been running for the same amount of time, but they calculated it wouldn’t last for even a third of that time. “Although the cost of our lining product was 45% more expensive, the cost savings that ac crue due to three-times the life far outweigh the premium price paid. Our Nordbak pulley compound is a win-win for conveyor opera tors,” he says. Kaber adds: “The Nordbak product we use for pulley liners surpasses all the re quirements of SANS 1669 – including the flammability requirements for underground pulleys – and the application of the compound is also done according to that specification. As a result, we are very proud to have had the Sasol Synfuels and Sasol Mining contracts, to supply and apply this product to them, for over 14 years.” Moving on to another application, Kaber shows a PowerPoint presentation of a Carbon-in-Leach (CIL) process tank for the gold industry, which was lined by Nordbak to prevent corrosion and metal degradation. With a pH of between 8.8 and 11 from the cyanide in the tank, the leach solutions are highly corrosive to the metal walls of the tank. Nordbak resolved the problem by lining the tank with several product layers. A 6.0 mm layer of NORDWEAR 5 Acid was first trowelled onto the floor and sidewalls of the tank. This compound, together with resil ience and impact strength, has excellent cor rosion resistance and wear properties. “We then painted on our two-colour NORDCOAT 2 system, which has a blue coat underneath a black topcoat. This enables clients to do a visual inspection of the integrity of the surface coating every time the tank is drained. If the blue protrudes though the black, then the topcoat needs attention,” he explains, adding that these tanks were done approximately three years ago and have not had any issues

pany. We have specialised products for many different applications,” he adds. Turning attention to the company’s future, Mark Beyl says the NordBak directors have taken the decision to make a R14-million in vestment in the company’s production facility over the next six to seven months. “We aim to increase production capacity by roughly 35% by expanding our factory and replanning and modernising the production lines. “We are in a growing phase, having increased our turnover by roughly 40% over the past two years. For a long time now we have been a big small company. With this investment we hope to transform Nordbak into a small-big company, instead,” Mark Beyl concludes. nordbak.co.za

since the Nordbak products were installed. According to the customer, both products are easy to apply and their condition was still good. The NORDWEAR 5 Acid compound is now also being used in underflow chutes and launders, “with great success”. Citing another case study, to protect a caus tic bund wall area made of cement at a beverage plant, Kaber says Nordbak PS1 was used to give a very hard and smooth finish and to resist general acids and raised levels of chlorine. Here the customer cited the compound’s “outstand ing wear and acid resistance properties” along with “ease of application” as the reasons for choosing it. “These are a few examples to show that we are much more than just a liner backing com

NORDBAK ® NORDTILE, a co-polymer trowelable paste with excellent wear properties, resilience, high impact strength and chemical resistance, making it ideal for protecting pipes and pipe elbows.

Nordbak services the mining, petrochemical, minerals processing and transportation sectors.

November-December 2023 • MechChem Africa ¦ 21