Australian Underground Mining: Solutions

Global Road Technology (GRT) is an Australian based company that concentrates on providing solutions for dust control, soil stabilisation, erosion control and water management for a range of industries, including the mining industry. The products that are offered by GRT are the most innovative and effective techniques currently available in overcoming industry issues with soil, civil construction, water management and dust. As discussed in a previous article, dust is a threat to open cut and underground mines, and continues to be a severe health threat to workers in all areas of mining. Especially as the cases of “black lung” in Australian miners continues to increase. Black lung is the lung disease caused by the long-term exposure to coal dust.

Even as mining technology becomes more efficient, dust is, and likely will remain an unavoidable consequence of mining processes. The choices that every mine manager has however, is the method of mitigation chosen to control dust suspension to provide a safe environment for their workers. Currently, mines all around the world utilise water as their primary method of dust suspension; however, it has been proven that it is an inefficient, costly and wasteful form of dust control. Currently, on the market there are numerous products available that are capable of targeting dust suppression in an underground mining context. 

GRT: ACTIVATE UG

GRT ACTIVATE UG is a product that was manufactured to directly target airborne dust faster than any other product that is currently available on the market. When water is utilised as a mitigation solution against coal, the chemical composition of water and coal causes them to repel each other on a molecular level. This makes it harder for the water to capture and trap the dust, even when sprayed as fine droplets. 

What makes this product unique is it rapidly works on the surface tension and charge of the water, making it the most effective coal dust solutions in the industry. GRT ACTIVATE UG is water soluble and is capable of being utilised in already existing spray systems. When it is added to water, it binds with water and improves the waters efficiency and capability of capturing dust for extended periods of time. Once it is applied it dries completely odourless, non-hazardous and clear. When utilised against coal, it does not alter the combustible properties of the coal, and concentrates on only capturing the hazardous dust. It has been especially successful when used in drilling and gas extraction activities. This infers that less water is required to cover a large area, and once utilised over an area, the dust is trapped for an extended period of time. GRT ACTIVATE UG has been specifically engineered to be most effective in an underground mining environment for longwall operations, development mining and conveyor systems. After the product has been sprayed it is completely biodegradable, and poses no threat to the environment after use. 

GRT: Wet-Loc

GRT: Wet-Loc is one of GRT’s largest selling and most successful into the market. It is comprised of a clear, synthetic fluid that is non-drying and non-setting, and sprayed directly onto roads, and areas of high traffic. The mechanics of this product is as follows: once the product is applied onto a road, it permeates into the top layer of the soil. The GRT: Wet-Loc attaches itself onto the soil particles within the top layer of the ground, and groups them together in a liquid structure that remains “wet” over the course of its use. It is extremely versatile in which materials it is capable of operating in, including gravel, sand, clay, limestone and most native soils. Due to its self-healing properties, it is capable of staying in this form and under intense pressure and stress from heavy vehicles for periods of up to 12 months. GRT: Wet-Loc is chemically formulated to withstand extreme weather conditions, eliminating any chances of evaporation and freezing. The material from which the product is formulated makes it non-flammable and non-volatile, removing any chances of combustion from friction or backfire from vehicles engines or tires.  This product has primarily produced for the use of underground mining roads, areas of heavy damaging traffic, tracked machinery routes, forklift areas, container yards and even car parks.

GRT: Ore-Loc

GRT: Ore-Loc is a versatile product that is utilised primarily for processing, transport and stockpile management. Its principal function is to cover a load, and ensure no hazardous materials, or dust is suspended from any short term or long-term static loads. The polymer based product is capable of drying in wet, dry and extreme climates, making it capable of being utilised in an open mine and underground environment. Just covering the loads with plastic sheets is no longer an acceptable practice in the industry. A strong gust is enough to destabilise the plastic sheeting and suspend the idle dust, and losing large quantities of materials. GRT: Ore-Loc is a liquid polymer that has been carefully engineering to provide a surface coating over the surface of the ore or material, to ensure minimal to no loss in stockpile material. It is a robust product that is capable of withstanding the harsh and versatile conditions of the mining sector. GRT: Ore-Loc can also be utilised as a sealant to control dust on conveyor systems or rail cars.  There is no preparation needed for this product, and can be directly applied onto raw materials via a spray bar system or water cart. The product is non-toxic, and has a low carbon footprint, proving to be an optimal choice for dust suppression in the mining industry. 

The products highlighted in this article are, currently, the most efficient and time effective solutions available on the market. In the context of dust suppression, the technology has been chemically engineered to eliminate the threat of dust suspension in an underground mine. These materials are versatile in their properties; making them a viable dust suppression solution in other contexts, such as open cut mines, tunnelling, and construction.