Modern Quarrying Q3 2022

SAFE AND RESPONSIBLE DUST SUPPRESSION

Michelle Fick, CHRYSO Business Development Manager for Concrete Aesthetics.

DUST SUPPRESSION

Modern Quarrying spoke to Michelle Fick, CHRYSO Southern Africa’s Business Development Manager for Concrete Aesthetics & Key Account Manager about its Eco Dust range. This product can be used on quarries for safe and responsible dust suppression on all areas that generally create dust – from haul roads to stock piles. In the competitive market of dust suppression where most companies sell dust suppression as an application service to the market, CHRYSO only sells the product, enabling it to supply product in small quantities to suit clients’ needs.

What was the motivation behind the Eco Dust range? We launched the product range at The Totally Concrete Conference back in August 2016. The logic behind the launch of the Eco Dust range was that it would be easy to service our existing markets as we already supply product to mining, precast yards, construction sites, ready mix and cement plants. In addition, we received numerous enquiries on a monthly basis for such a product and there fore saw opportunities in sub-Saharan African countries. What dust suppressants do CHRYSO offer the quarrying market? The CHRYSO Eco Dust range for the quarrying market includes: Eco Dust 100 (a sealing coat with hydrophobic properties), Eco Dust 200 (a surface sealer that’s an emulsified dust lubrication sys tem), Eco Dust Primer (a co-product of cellulose production that aids as a binding additive and used as a surface primer with CHRYSO® Eco Dust 200) and Eco Dust Oil (an emulsified surface lubricant that coalesces particles to form a dust suppressing film). What are the benefits of using these products? For a quarrying application, the products enable compliance to safety, environmental, health and occupational regulations. Because the products are water soluble and biodegradable, they are easy to apply. They require less fuel, cause virtually no tyre traction and have a high tolerance to rainfall.

Were the products developed locally? Yes. The raw material used for the Eco Dust Range is also used in our admixtures. It made sense to include this product as a value-add solution to the existing product offering as it complements the wide product range of dosing products that we already supply. Are the products ideal for South African conditions? The products in the range are UV stable, made from locally sourced raw material and produced here. Its performance is not affected by the climate or humidity. Are these products soluble and biodegradable? They are both biologically degradable and envi ronmentally safe. The Eco Dust product is a dust lubrication adhesive based on a blend of a natural polymer and aqueous dispersions. The aqueous dis persion component is a colloidal stabilised emulsion which contains trace amounts of a non-ionic surfac tant for the interface in the polymerisation process. How easy is it to use these products? Very easy: add to a water tanker fitted with a liquid distribution bar and the product is ready to spray onto surfaces. How safe are the products during application? The products are water based, VOC-free and UV stable. They have no onerous handling or safety

MODERN QUARRYING QUARTER 3 | 2022 14