Treating in excess of ten-million square meters of permanent haul roads at opencast and underground mines globally, total dust management company Dust-A-Side a global leader in its field.

The internationally active South African company has added substantial value and reduced costs significantly at the New Vaal colliery, in the Free State, through the introduction of its HydroWet dust suppression product, used for application on a high-performance turf and as a soil wetting agent.

HydroWet is a concentrated surface active agent specially formulated to improve the wetting ability of water, particularly on hydrophobic materials. The addition of HydroWet to water helps reduce surface tension, thereby enabling water to wet the hydrophobic surfaces easily, explains Dust-A-Side.

HydroWet was introduced at New Vaal, owned by global diversified miner Anglo American’s thermal coal division Anglo American Coal, in the second quarter of 2014.

As per the mine, from August to October 2014 a reduction of 70% in water usage as well as equipment needs was obtained on a designated area of 180 000 square meters of secondary haul roads.

In terms of operating costs (inclusive of fuel, tyres and operating cost) for the same period, the colliery recorded a 50% reduction in the use of its CAT mining truck.

Initial start-up after first rains were also much quicker on HydroWet treated roads when compared to untreated roads. Roads continued to be trafficable after consecutive days of rainfall where in the past roads turned to mud and became immediately un-trafficable.

Hydrowet was employed at New Vaal only after predetermined outcomes were discussed, following which an auto dosing system, linked to the mine water filling points, was installed and commissioned. During the initial start-up, water filling points were automated, with Dust-A-Side matching this standard by upgrading the dosing system to work on the same basis. As such, no physical exiting of a vehicle is necessary to completely fill a water bowser.

Monitoring and coaching were provided to the mine operator from day one, with a decrease in the amount of cycles needed to establish sufficient dust suppression during the first week.

“For the rest of the actively using quarter, good compaction was obtained on the roads sprayed and up to 70% decrease in cycles was obtained as per the operator statement. Normal loads of four to six a shift reduced to two to three a shift,” notes Dust-A-Side business manager Malan Cronje.

After the first rains, the roads held up as the compacted driving surfaces supplied sufficient drainage. Roads were accessible after these rains, whereas previously they were not drivable even with light duty vehicles, owing to mud and potholes.

In addition to its HydroWet solution, Dust-A-Side’s product offering includes Dust-A-Side, HydroSperse, HydroTac and AquaTarp.

The company has serviced projects in Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Ghana, Mozambique, Morocco, Australia and Chile over its 30 years of operation, supplying tailor-made solutions to its clients. Dust-A-Side boasts a staff compliment in excess of 650 employees, managing over 70 globally based mines, belonging to the likes of mining industry heavyweights coal and heavy minerals mining company Exxaro, multinational metals and mining corporation Rio Tinto, South 32, and diversified miner Anglo American.

Dust-A-Side believes that in forming global strategic partnerships, it is able to offer its superior experience and expertise to various clients, based across the world, with different needs and operating environments.

Tel : +27 12 648 8900
Email : advertising @dustaside.com
www.dustaside.com