Written by Kurt.
Today, ‘Urban Mining’ is unmissable in our search for reusable materials. What used to be allowed and a practical or economic consideration is today a must. Reusing materials is in full development. Every day, new applications are invented to deal more sustainably with our resources and find a reusable solution for all those new waste streams/‘building blocks’ coming our way.
But almost nothing can be reused without processing and countless intermediate steps of grinding, sieving, scrubbing, washing, drying, …. For our industry, that means making a lot of dust. And so, today, dust control is an integral part of our recycling activities. Meanwhile, it goes without saying that a dust-free environment is good by environment and health because it can cause annoyances and health problems in the environment, among staff and bystanders. Although dust (inert dust, plastic particles or wood dust) can also cause problems at your facilities. Excess dust can cause heating or damage resulting in wear, imbalance or blockage.
Practically, we are going to catch the dust particles with a cloud of countless droplets. Due to an increase in weight (dust + water), they settle on the ground. The cloud (larger droplets) or mist (smaller micro-droplets) are adjusted to the size of the dust particles and the purpose (dust control or cooling). The amount of active spray heads is also adjusted according to the amount of dust being combated for the most efficient use of water.
These high-tech solutions can minimise the spread of dust particles. To achieve this, we need to work on several fronts. At the source, in other words when processing waste streams such as rubble, scrap, wood,… by equipping shredders and screening machines with such systems. Mobile plants are increasingly fitted with a water pump and equipped with a misting system to precipitate the released dust particles at source. Spray heads are possible in the crusher housing, at the exit of the chamber and/or on the belt. Separate surface-mounted systems are also available for local dust control of mobile units. The word local is very important here, because water is also a precious commodity and so too much is not good for the environment or the wallet.
During storage, dust is also released due to the falling movement of the material. One or more mobile spray cannons with a long range of 30 to 150 m are often used to precipitate the dust particles. They can be moved with a forklift, stand on a mobile chassis or on a trailer with its own generator and water supply to have complete autonomy. Fixed installations can also be used in closed or semi-open buildings and controlled from a central point.
Loading and unloading is also a source of dust creation. So there, too, are solutions to minimise dust. If done in open terrain, a misting system can be linked to a radio control or automated meteorological station that then takes into account the conditions of the moment such as rain and wind direction and speed.
Besides atomisation for dust control, atomisation is also extremely efficient in cooling and odour control. In short, do you have a question about dust control? Ask us, your supplier.