Five Facts You Should Know About Road Dust Control Chemicals

Unpaved roads pose many dangers to its users, among the most prevalent being the excessive amount of dust generated by daily traffic. More than just being a major nuisance, dust clouds from unpaved roads obscure the vision of drivers, creating traffic hazards. Airborne dust can have several other potential issues. Plant pores can become clogged with dust and cause a shading effect, resulting in stunted crop growth. Livestock can also be affected, suffering from dust pneumonia, pink eye and respiratory illnesses. People living in close proximity to unpaved roads can suffer from allergies, including hay fever and respiratory issues. The fine dust particles are also abrasive, increasing wear in equipment and vehicles. Dust that gets carried into creeks, streams, and lakes increases the turbidity of the water. The proposed solution to road dust is the application of dust control chemicals and the following are important facts you should know about dust suppressants:

•    Some of the most commonly used dust suppressants in today’s market include calcium chloride, lignin derivatives, magnesium chloride, road fabric, sodium chloride, resinous adhesives, and water. Selecting the right type of chemical or suppressant to use is a matter of determining the condition of the road and the results or level of dust control desired. Dust suppressants differ in performance characteristics and finding the right chemical or product to use should depend on the condition of the road as well as the type and volume of traffic it serves.

•    Magnesium and calcium chloride, which are hygroscopic salts are some of the most commonly used chemicals for treating unpaved road surfaces. Their hygroscopic properties retard evaporation from road surfaces even during the heat of day and draw moisture from the surrounding environment. This produces brine, which keeps road surfaces moist.

•    Dust suppressants are generally diluted with water at a rate of 25-50% and applied to the surface with a sprayer. Depending on the product used, the benefits will be cumulative, requiring less product over time as the road components adhere together to form a hardened surface.

•    Lignin is a cost-effective substitute to commonly used salts and chemicals. Lignin derivatives have natural cementing properties that bind dust particles together, reducing loss of fines and aggregate.

•    In wetlands or areas of environmental sensitivity it is important to use dust suppression products that will not harm the adjacent vegetation, fish and animals. For this reason many people are turning away from calcium chloride or other chloride salts toward less damaging options, such as lignin derivatives.

Overcome the Menace of Environmental Pollution with Road Dust Control Products

We have all seen it: Trucks running up and down dirt roads, stirring up massive clouds of dust in their wake. And this dust gets everywhere—exhaust vents, critical machinery, inside vehicles, engines, in your lungs. Ultimately, dust becomes a major environmental and health problem.

This is where dust control products come in.  There are various compounds that will control dust. Some are chloride (salt) based and others are more environmentally friendly. They are applied either diluted with water or undiluted (depending on the usage and specific applications), but the basic principle behind them is simple: keep dust from being blown away.

Road dust control products keep fine dust particles clumped together by keeping the ground damp. This is achieved by using what is called a hygroscopic compound: chemical compounds that attract moisture to themselves. This moisture is absorbed from the atmosphere and keeps airborne dust particles to a minimum.

Other types of dust control products have additional compounds such as natural tree resins that act as a heavy binder. This type is used in environments where high performance dust prevention is needed and the area is environmentally sensitive as they are bio-degradable and environmentally friendly. It has the added benefit of maintaining the integrity of the road surface, as the resin forms a bond with the surface of the road and with repeated applications it increases the durability of the surface. This helps prevent ruts & potholes from forming and eliminates the need for constant grading (which stirs up even more dust in the process) and reduces road maintenance costs.

All types of road dust control products can be used for shoulder treatments, surface stabilization and erosion control and can be used on gravel roads, landing strips, haul roads, construction sites, mines and many others. If you need to control gravel in an environmentally sensitive area, or near wetlands be sure to choose a product that won’t harm surrounding vegetation and wildlife.

Benefits of Using Dust Suppression Solutions

Dust control is crucial for environmental and human health and safety. As long as you use the right dust suppression solutions, you can be sure to meet significant environmental, health, and safety requirements.Environmental pollution, particularly air pollution, is often generated on construction sites, mines, and unpaved roads.Reducing airborne dust, will protect yourself and others in these areas. In mining for instance, workers are exposed to airborne coal dust which is dangerous to their health as it can cause black lung disease and dust from gravel, stone, and sand processing can cause silicosis. In order to provide a safer work environment, it becomes important to have the right dust suppression solution for your application.

The use of dust suppression solutions is not only limited to mining and construction. It is also used in coal terminals, power plants, railroads, quarries, airstrips, grain and shipping terminals, lease sites, logging roads, and iron and steel mills. Dust suppressants can effectively reduce the risk of airborne dust thereby enhancing the overall safety in the workplace. In addition to diseases caused by dust, safety is also at risk when visibility is reduced due to the presence of dust in the air. Some dust suppression solutions canminimize unpleasant odors and the inhalation of airborne particles and help reduce cleaning and maintenance costs which can prolong the life of your equipment, saving you money.

By using dust suppression solutions you can protect the health of workers in mines and construction sites. This makes the workplace healthier, and in turn, it may boost the morale of employees. In many ways, dust suppressants may reduce the number of sick days and accidents in the workplace, and minimize the waste of valuable resources, which will help boost productivity.

Some of the best dust suppression solutions are environmentally friendly resin-modified emulsions, which are suitable for unpaved roads. Products formulated using tree resin ingredients are safe to use near areas of environmental sensitivity and wetlands. These solutions are versatile and ideal for erosion control and stabilization, as well.

Benefits of Using Propylene Glycol as a Hydrotesting Fluid

Propylene glycol is a colourless and viscous liquid with nearly no odour.  Amongst its many uses, propylene glycol can prove an effective product for use in heat exchangers and hydrotesting applications. In hydrotesting, propylene glycol serves as an anti-freeze for piping systems and equipment that is useful in temperatures below -40°C. Ethylene glycol was widely used in the hydrotesting industry in the past, but many companies are now using propylene glycol because it is more environmentally friendly. Propylene glycol has medium viscosity so it is easy to apply and its toxicity and vapor pressure are lower than alternatives like ethylene glycol, making it ideal for hydrotesting.

Hydrotesting determines the strength of pressure vessels like fuel tanks, boilers, gas cylinders, pipelines, and plumbing. It is used to test for leaks and other malfunctions in the pipe or equipment. Propylene glycol is an efficient hydrotesting fluid that will keep from freezing in sub zero temperatures.

Because of the many uses and users of propylene glycol, there is also differing demand for various grades, delivery methods, and blends. Propylene glycol for hydrotesting applications can be supplied in tech grade or as a recycled product depending on the customers need. Blends of inhibitor, dye, or water in conventional storage vessels (i.e. bulk, totes, pails, and drums) are easily processed to suit any application.

Propylene glycol is hygroscopic, water soluble, and non-corrosive, making it a good choice for hydrotesting fluid. As well, it is a safe deicer for aircraft and runways and an environmentally friendly antifreeze for vehicles. It is also used for winterizing plumbing systems in structures that have been left vacant. Propylene glycol has a low freezing point comparable to ethylene glycol, but it is a safer solution and is also non-toxic.

Rydlyme – The Truly Safe and Biodegradable Descaler

Chemical descalers or descaling agents are used to eliminate lime scale from the surface of metals that are typically in contact with water. Common applications for descalers are water heaters, chillers, condensers, cooling towers and boilers. Environmental and worker safety are often prioritized when it comes to choosing a descaler, and these factors gave rise to the creation of a safe to handle and biodegradable descaler like Rydlyme. The revolutionary descaler is versatile in removing not only lime scale, but also rust and mud. It does not erode, oxidize, pit, or cause any deleterious effects on any material or metal such as steel, iron, nickel, glass, brass, or fibre. Rydlyme is designed to be safe and easy to use, and these qualities have helped make it one of the leading biodegradable descalers in the world.

When water scale, mud, rust, and lime deposits occur on equipment, particularly those that are involved in cooling and heating processes, they can greatly inhibit equipment’s efficiency and longevity, making costly repairs and shutdowns inevitable. Efficiency suffers, energy costs will increase, and the equipment’s service life is reduced. Hence, periodic cleaning with a biodegradable descaler, like Rydlyme, is highly recommended to keep those deposits at bay.

As a biodegradable descaler, Rydlyme is highly regarded among various industries, particularly pharmaceutical, poultry, bottling, beverage, and food processing plants; it is completely safe to use in food processing and drinking water systems. Rydlyme efficiently dissolves and eliminates unwanted deposits on equipment and will eat away at even the most stubborn water scale, rust, mud, and lime deposits. It is used in the petrochemical, marine, manufacturing, automotive and pulp & paper industries, amongst others.

Rydlyme is non-corrosive, non-flammable, non-toxic, non-hazardous, and non-injurious. The liquid descaler will not cause harm to employees, equipment, or to the environment and is an ideal descaler for those concentrated on enhancing safety while not willing to compromise on effectiveness or efficiency.

Advantages of Using Flocculants for Water Filtration

Flocculants are used when water has a high level of turbidity or when there are solids that must be separated from the liquid. Flocculation is a method of water filtration that is considered highly effective at minimizing the haziness of the fluid and in removing solids and colloidal material. When used together with sludge treatment, filtration of the clarified elements, and chemical feed, flocculants may be effective in filtering wastewater, too. Many industrial processes may require flocculation for water filtration and to enhance the efficiency of potable water, raw water, and process water treatment systems. Here are more advantages of using flocculants:

Dewatering – Water released in mining, municipal, and industrial dewatering systems can be more easily managed with flocculants, which will enable the production of drier cake. When there is a lot of cake solids, sludge volume is reduced to minimize disposal costs. Some flocculants are specially formulated to be effective in dewatering radioactive, biological, and inorganic sludge.

Improve small particle filtration or sedimentation – Flocculants can be used to help remove microscopic particles, which cause water to be cloudy. They can also improve the filtration process. In fact, when mere filtration becomes inefficient, flocculation is conducted to ensure success.

Supports coagulation – Flocculants may be used to promote effective and faster coagulation. Manufacturers formulate flocculants in different grades to suit every filtration or coagulation requirement.

Water soluble – High-quality flocculants will dissolve gradually in the water. Warm water and overnight soaking can make the dissolution go faster. Hence, they will not linger long in the filtered water.

Reduce energy consumption – The water filtration system can work more efficiently to reduce electrical power usage, which is typically the result of using equipment with higher throughput. As long as the flocculants are administered in the right amounts, water filtration should not use up a lot of energy resources.

Improve the performance of various systems – Flocculants can boost the effect of thickeners, settlers, clarifiers, air floatation units, drying beds, and effluent treatment plants.

Potassium Acetate De-icer – Protects Your Truck Boxes and Conveyor Systems

Winter and extremely low temperatures can cause frost, ice, or snow to form on your conveyor belt systems, truck boxes and rail cars. When that happens, you could put your processes and productivity at risk of being delayed, and lose revenue when damage occurs to your products, and when a percentage of the product remains in the rail car or truck box. For this reason, industries use de-icers that are specifically formulated for truck boxes and conveyor belt systems. De-icers were traditionally made of chloride salts, like magnesium chloride and calcium chloride, but environmentally friendly and safer alternatives, such as potassium acetate, are becoming an industry standard, especially for sensitive areas. In fact, potassium acetate de-icer is recommended for a wide range of applications, including de-icing runways, bridges, and roads.

A potassium acetate de-icer is a reliable product to ensure that no ice or frost can form in your truck boxes and conveyor belt systems. High-quality potassium acetate de-icers offer excellent anti-icing properties where they remain active, even in freezing temperatures. Discerning businesses prefer them for being a cost-effective way to keep conveyor belt systems, rail cars and truck boxes ice-free. A potassium acetate de-icer is easier to apply, even with existing equipment, and it lasts longer to minimize the need for frequent reapplications. The product diffuses through the ice and snow to break the bond between the surface and frozen precipitation. Likewise, it continues to work to prevent frozen precipitation from adhering to surfaces.

High-quality de-icers will prevent aggregates like coal and petroleum coke from freezing to conveyor belt systems, truck boxes, and rail cars, making them ideal in mining applications. Some chemical distributors and suppliers offer potassium acetate de-icers with a non-toxic and biodegradable formulation to enable aggregates to cleanly release from the sides of rail cars, hoppers, and trucks. This type of potassium acetate de-icer is blended for minimum freezing points of up to -40 degrees Celsius.