Modern Quarrying Q3 2020

DUST SUPPRESSION

Road after treatment with FlowCentric Mining’s Roadtech.

Dust levels on the road before treatment with Roadtech from FlowCentric Mining.

“This system prevents dust formation, reduces material spill, enables thorough belt-cleaning and minimises the risk of explosion at critical sections along the conveyor route and at transfer points.” He says AirScrape is a contact- less side seal that lies over the conveyor belt to create negative pressure on the belt. The system eliminates skirt friction and belt damage, so extending the service life of “every component of the conveyor”, as it hovers freely above the conveyor belt. “AirScrape has also solved the problem of ‘moist and sticky’ condi- tions in some industries, including at a plant for processing slag and ashes from waste incineration into usable raw materials.” He says a six-week trial operation showed that, although cleaning at critical points is necessary once a week, some 90% of time previously spent cleaning is now available for productive work at the plant. “The fact that it is possible to process ashes with a high moisture content directly from incineration using ADR technology is a real advantage for metal recovery.” Mouritzen says the other products from ScrapeTec avail- able from BLT World, including DustScrape, TailScrape and SpeedScrape, are virtually main- tenance-free, extend the service

a water bowser and sprayed on to the surface of the road. Roadtech Plus is a natural, polymer-based gravel road sealant combined with an emulsified bituminous product to create a durable sealant for gravel roads. Wessels describes it as an “environmentally safe alternative for semi-per- manent and permanent gravel roads and roads in residential areas.” He says regular use makes it ideal for water-scarce areas. “Roadtech Plus was formulated to create a durable road surface suitable for heavy haulage vehicles in the mining industry. It is less harmful to the environment than traditional bituminous products as natural ingredients are incorporated into it. The result is a durable, smooth road capable of withstanding high volumes of traffic.” Another of the company’s solutions is PolyTech, a natural emulsified gravel road sealant combined with a polymer to provide a sealant for gravel roads. “It is an environmentally-safe alternative for semi-permanent and perma- nent gravel roads, and even for roads in residential areas,” says Wessels. This product forms a water-resistant road surface, resulting in a durable, smooth road capable of withstanding high traffic volumes. While not designed to carry traffic but purely to seal large open areas and to keep extreme fines at bay, Tailing-Cap is an application used to bind fines on tailing dams and discard dumps, where fugitive dust becomes a hazard. Wessels says it is polymer-based and forms a permeable cover or “skin” over the intended area, with limited flexibility to ensure longevity on the treated surface. “Both Roadtech and Polytech use spray-on application protocols while Roadtech-Plus is built into the surface of the road to ensure stability of the wearing course. After application, the products will form a durable crossed linked matrix which binds fine soil particles to prevent dust from becoming airborne.” Apart from these products, the company also provides locally manufac- tured misting canons and misting systems to the mining and construction industries. BLT World MD Ken Mouritzen says the company’s contact-free AirScrape conveyor belt skirting system by ScrapeTec eliminates dust and spills on belts and transfers to minimise conveyor system maintenance requirements. The system can also cope with the challenges of moist and sticky materials, without the need for filter elements, as it is a water-free solution.

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MODERN QUARRYING QUARTER 3 - 2020