Dust suppression systems utilise hardware such as dosing units that have nozzles at different pressures to either wet or mist dust generating materials. At low pressure, the dust suppressant wets materials to prevent buoyancy of fugitive dust whereas at high pressure a fine mist that compares to the dust particle size binds and suppresses airborne dust particles.

GRT’s Dust Suppression Systems

When it comes to dust suppression systems, GRT offers much more than just the dust suppression product.

GRT provides dust suppression systems for different sites ranging from mines, logistics yards, dual-track light rails, haul roads, festival grounds, lodge access roads and maintenance yards. GRT conducts a site visit and consultation to develop an in-person appreciation of the challenges faced at the site. Identification of problems on the site is performed to build a firm foundation and understanding of the client needs. From the variety of dust suppression technologies that GRT has to offer, the onus is now on the GRT expert engineers to recommend site-specific solutions. GRT takes this approach to dust suppression:

  • Get a background of the site through a site visit and consultation.
  • Understand the site challenges presented by the client.
  • Recommend a site-specific solution that offers the client a return on investment. 

A good example is that dust is a characteristic feature of haul roads that are made of substandard materials. Quite on the contrary, they have high-performance requirements as they have to withstand varying amounts of vehicular traffic and massive loads. How do you balance that on a client site with GRT’s site-specific solutions? Well, we evaluate that in our article as we unpack product engineered dust suppression systems offered by GRT below. 

Water alone is not the answer

Let us then explore the reason why water sucks even when used with the best dust suppression systems. GRT: 12X is our latest weapon in protecting mine workers with a dust suppression product that is 12 times more effective than water alone in suppressing coal dust and other fine dust. GRT: 12X super-activates drill water so it saturates and captures the fine, hazardous dust drilling can generate, preventing it from becoming an airborne hazard. Through use of GRT: 12X we enable the site to transform its drill rig into its own 12X dust suppression system. It is dosed into the drill rigs water tank at ratios of 1:1000 to 1:2000 (soil dependent) and helps create a more stable hole, reducing the risk and subsequent costs of hole collapse. In a more traditional sense watering soils is a method of suppressing the formation of dust. However, excess water gives it a slurry and slippery texture compromising the safety of haul roads. The other drawbacks of using this dust suppression system includes wastage of water, increased vehicle wear and road maintenance. In addition, water scarcity is a big challenge world over, instead it would be better to channel water where it is needed the most something GRT products enables respective clients to achieve. So what hardware is used by GRT on-site? 

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Hardware used by GRT on site

Different hardware is used by GRT on site. These include but are not limited to the following as it is site-specific:

  • Automatic dosing units: these are tailor-made for each customer to suit their individual needs and ensure accurate dosing of the product with the following options. (1) solar-powered, generator or mains power compatible (2) manual, remote control, or automated start (3) permanently fixed, mobile skids/bunds, or even truck-mounted units available (4) can be dual-purposed to dose different GRT products. 
  • Trailers with radial diaphragm pumps: these provide high-pressure discharge with high flow. The radial piston pump allows for continuous flow with no pulsation via its multi-cylinder design. They can be converted to different pressure and flows without the need to change pistons making them a unique and versatile unit. 
  • Transfer pumps: these are used for moving dust suppressant around the site. The pump can be controlled by remote control and its filter stations reduce maintenance intervals. The pump housing is made of aluminium which makes it easy to transport, shockproof and protected from dirt.  

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The Need for Dust Suppression Systems

There are several reasons why dust formed on roads or other high vehicular tracts must be suppressed.

  • Untreated roads affect visibility and thereby increase the chances of accidents.
  • Dust particles if they get lodged in the lungs can become a major health hazard. It becomes a serious issue at workplaces as it compromises the health of employees. Silicosis from inhaling silica dust can result in lung cancer and death.
  • By reducing gravel loss, it reduces the cost and needs for frequent road maintenance.
  • Dust also affects vehicular performance increasing wear and thereby results in frequent maintenance schedules. The costs incurred always affect the business. 
  • On the whole, excessive dust formation also affects the aesthetics of a particular region because people do not like to bear the brunt of residing in dust-prone areas.

For these reasons and many more, it is necessary to control the formation of dust through the application of chemical dust palliatives used with different dust suppression systems.

Curbing Dust at its Source 

Dust is tiny, solid particles suspended in the air due to either human activities such as mining, blasting, drilling, construction, wildfires or natural phenomena such as volcanoes, dust storms or sea sprays. Even on paved roads, soil particles come to lose over time due to friction. Not only this, environmental elements such as wind and water, and also biological forces break down larger soil particles and aggregations causing them to erode gradually. 

A large percentage is washed away with water running over it while the very minute particles escape into the air. Air saturated with dust is difficult to treat and hence, most air purifier systems fall short of the job of providing quality air. It, therefore, becomes necessary to use a dust suppression system that curbs dust formation at the source. It is also critical to ensure that by solving one problem, we don’t create another.

GRT’s approach to dust control systems

Global Road Technology has developed advanced and site-specific dust suppression systems after analysing the behaviour of dust particles. GRT products are a perfect blend of chemistries that bind these particles together and enable better water penetration to keep the dust particles settled. The degradation chemistry of these technologies post use as a dust suppressant are not harmful to the environment and the formulation chemistry of the polymers achieves better performance compared to bitumen emulsion as the long chain polymer technology is targeted to deal with dust at its source without affecting the environment.

In addition to controlling dust, these dust suppression systems create roads with smoother and tighter road surfaces. Its lineup of dust suppression systems includes the GRT: Wet-Loc, GRT: Haul-Loc, GRT7000 and GRT9000. Each type of dust suppression system has its own set of features and advantages. The products are all developed with the view of being safe for the environment. These binding agents, when applied to sub-standard soils, bind the particles through agglomeration. As such, the size and density of soil particles increases. They keep the dust settled and prevent vehicles from throwing up dust in the air. 

Dust Suppression Systems for a Safer, Cleaner and Greener Environment

The benefits of Global Road Technology dust suppression systems are not limited to arresting the formation of dust and preventing them from becoming airborne. When applied to the soil, it forms a protective crust over it. As it binds the surface soil particles it prevents the formation of potholes and at the same time stabilizes surfaces against wash boarding. Thus, it requires less frequent grading. Some products also create a skid-resistant surface. So why trust GRT dust suppression systems for a safer, cleaner and greener environment? 

  • Regular consultation. 
  • Service post-sale or purchase of dust suppression systems. 
  • Presence of in-house expert engineers onsite. 
  • Preventative maintenance. 

With GRT you will never walk alone, ever-present to fulfil your dust suppression requirements. 

For more information on Global Road Technology and our world-leading dust suppression systems please Contact Us:

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References:

Ball, G.F.A., Herrington, P.R., and Patrick, J.E. 2008. Environmental Effects of Emulsions. Land Transport New Zealand Research Report. 343. 

Brandt, H.C.A., and De Groot, P.C. 2001. Aqueous leaching of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from bitumen and asphalt. Wat. Res. 35:17, 4200-4207.

Dew, W.A., Hontela, A., Rood, S.B., and Pyle, G.G. 2015. Biological effects and toxicity of diluted bitumen and its constituents in freshwater systems. Journal of Applied Toxicology. 35. 1219-1227. 

Lee, T., Park, J., Knoff, D,S., Kim, K., and Kim, M. 2019. Liquid amphiphilic polymer for effective airborne dust suppression. Royal Society of Chemistry Advances. 9. 1-6.