There are many methods of dust suppression available in Australia, however the best dust suppression solutions are those that incorporate HydroWet, a concentrated surfactant specially formulated by Dust-A-Side to improve the wetting ability of water, particularly on hydrophobic materials such as coal and other fine ores.
The main reason for its proven success is the fact that as a superior wetting agent, HydroWet helps to lower the surface tension of water particles, leading to smaller water droplets (between 5 and 10 microns) that attract dust particles to them, via agglomeration.As you can see from the following diagram, larger water droplets displace more air, allowing the fast-moving airborne dust particles to simply flow around them.
However with more than 200 highly advanced dust suppression systems in operation globally, Dust-A-Side understand that the secret of effective dust suppression is to match the size of atomised water droplets with the dust particles.
We know that when they are of equivalent size, there’s no getting around it; they collide, combine and fall to the ground assisted by gravity.
Other benefits of this proven dust suppression solution
As well as capturing and subduing the respirable dust (less than 10 microns) that can cause everything from irritating eye and throat issues and vision impairment to severe health risks, adding HydroWet to a dust suppression system also helps to:
- Minimise water usage, so you’ll save on water costs — PLUS your water resources can be put to better use elsewhere
- Prevent excessive water pooling (a significant safety risk), and
- Reduce the likelihood of blockages in the downstream materials handling process caused by adding excessive amounts of water/moisture to the material.
For effective dust suppression and wetting, the recommended surface tension of the solution is below 45mN/m — which is much lower than the standard surface tension of water, which is 71 – 73mN/m.
As a fast and effective wetting agent, HydroWet is very cost-effective compared to using water only, since only a small amount of HydroWet is needed to have the desired effect.
Typically, HydroWet is used at a dosage ratio of 500 ppm.
This makes it the perfect dust suppression solution for a host of applications, including:
- conveyors,
- stockpiles,
- transfer points,
- tipping areas,
- surge bins,
- loading terminals,
- storage facilities,
- demolition sites,
- excavations,
- quarries,
- rock crushing plants
- and more.
Like to know more about our dust suppression solutions?
Even without the addition of this highly effective dust suppression solution, our dust prevention and misting systems are still world class.
They are all state-of-the-art and come complete with a host of special inclusions, such as remote-control sensors, programmable logic controllers and fully automated self-cleaning water filtration systems. Each system is custom designed, manufactured and installed to solve a specific problem.
A well designed and properly installed dust suppression system is an economical long-term solution that, with regular maintenance, can provide years of trouble-free performance.
As leaders in Dust Suppression Systems, we can help you get the performance you need for your specific environment and operating conditions.
For more information and advice about HydroWet or our dust suppression systems (also known as dust misting systems or fog systems), or to discuss anything to do with dust control, speak to one of our dedicated engineers today.
Call 1800 662 387 or click here to contact us.
