Wind and water are the two biggest environmental risk factors to stockpiled dry products. Not only does dust pose a severe health and environmental risk to people, animals, and ecosystems, but water and wind ingress can also degrade quality and cause material loss. Investing in a stockpile dust suppression system will improve health and safety for your employees and the general public, and boost the overall efficiency of your industrial operation.
Let’s look at the benefits of a dust suppression system for any industry that relies on large-scale material stockpiling.
Defence Against Wind Erosion
Wind erosion is one of the primary factors contributing to dust -related issues in stockpiles. Uncovered piles of coal, quarried materials, and construction collateral are particularly vulnerable to the effects of strong winds, which can effortlessly lift and scatter dust particles high into the atmosphere. This increases the risk of air and rain-borne pollution over large areas, including acid rain in the case of some materials. To counteract the effects of wind erosion, many operations use strategically placed sprinkler or misting systems to keep the surfaces of stockpiles permanently damp. This damp layer suppresses dust by preventing wind from displacing particles at the top of the stockpile – and also helps keep lower levels of the stockpile dry by reducing water penetration.
Defence Against Water Erosion
Water erosion can also exacerbate dust -related problems, especially during heavy rainfall. This is bad news for many quarried or mined materials, including gypsum, which is highly soluble in water and can quickly deteriorate when exposed to moisture, and some metal ores can quickly oxidise or react with water, which impacts their quality and usability.
To mitigate this risk, stockpile sealants are applied to form a protective chemical barrier between your product and moisture. These sealants form a crust over the stockpile surface, which reduces the need for continuous watering, and is a more suitable solution for moisture-sensitive products. Foam suppression systems are also effective at managing dust during the handling and stacking of materials. Foam systems reduce dust by spraying a temporary foam layer to bind surface dust particles together.
Long-Term Product Protection
Foam treatments are perfect for the dust-prone ‘stacking out’ phase of material handling. However, for long-term stockpiles and sustained quarry dust control, some operators use concentrated latex polymer emulsions to form a hardened layer that binds the surface particles together. This provides long-term protection against wind and water ingress, increasing the integrity and stability of the stockpile. Chemical emulsions are available for various materials, including iron ore, ash, coal, and earthworks – and its ability to create a durable barrier makes it appropriate for open stockpile areas with unmade ground (e.g. in and around quarries and power stations), protecting the surrounding environment as well as your stock.
Next Steps
For more information about our stockpile dust suppression solutions and how we can help you preserve quality and efficiency in your operation, please contact one of the team at Best Chem today.
Image Source: Canva