Are you interested in the details of dust binding? Listed below are the most frequently asked questions regarding dust binding and Kemion’s dust binders.
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT DUST BINDING
Dust causes technical, aesthetic, hygienic and health problems. Dust enters the respiratory tract and may cause irritation by inhalation and eye contact. Dust can cause operational damage to work machines or other equipment. In addition, dust causes material loss on unpaved roads and various storage heaps.
Dust binding is done to prevent the adverse effects of dust and to improve occupational safety. Dust binding effectively prevents material loss. The use of dust binders can also reduce the amount of irrigation water, fuel costs and working hours, as the effect of the product is longer-lasting than ordinary water irrigation.
Dust binders work either by increasing the moisture content of surfaces or by binding particles together.
Our products are mainly liquid, but our product range also includes solid dust binding products.
Our products can bind dust even in winter, as we can modify their freezing point down to -50 degrees Celsius.
The choice of dust binder is influenced by e.g., site conditions and characteristics, traffic and environmental factors. Our experts will be happy to help you choose the right product.
Kemion’s dust binders can be used on private roads as well as in major mines and industrial sites. The products are mainly used in outdoor conditions, but they are also suitable to be used indoors and in various processes.
The effectiveness of Kemion’s dust binders is based on their properties of binding moisture and particles together. We are using the best dust binding practices to help our customers.
Kemion focuses on developing and manufacturing the most environmentally friendly products, based on e.g., organic and biodegradable ingredients. In addition, our product range also includes dust binders based on traditional technology.
Environmentally friendly dust binders are biodegradable and do not accumulate in soil or waterways. The products are safe to use even in environmentally sensitive areas. Some environmentally friendly dust binding products also have lower corrosion effects compared to traditional road salt.
When traditional road salt enters groundwater and surface water, it causes an increase in the chloride content and thus degrades the quality of raw water. In industrial applications the problem is often chloride enriched in circulating water, which causes process problems and corrosion of pipelines. Due to its non-degradability, traditional road salt accumulates in the soil, which can cause a hardening problem for the soil material in some applications (e.g., riding arena dust control).
ENVIRONMENT AND SAFETY
Ecological options are better for the environment because they are biodegradable and do not burden nature. In addition, non-ecological dust binding solutions cannot be used in sensitive environmental areas.
Dust binders affect for example, soil, water areas and vegetation. Generally, the use of dust binders reduces the consumption of irrigation water. Our starting point is always to develop dust binding products with the least possible impact on the environment.
In groundwater areas, dust binding can only be carried out with suitable and approved products. The Finnish Environmental Institute has researched substances suitable for groundwater areas and recommended the products offered by Kemion for Class 1 groundwater areas.
Kemion’s dust binders have low material effects. In general, Kemion’s products cause less corrosion than traditional road salt and do not damage good quality concrete. Kemion has also developed a fully biodegradable product suitable for sensitive materials that has even lower corrosion effects than rainwater.
Kemion’s products are in principle safe to use around animals. They are used, for example, on farms and riding stables. Like traditional road salt, some environmentally friendly dust binders can cause irritation on wounds and sensitive skin.
Kemion’s products are safe to use in areas with children. The products can be used, for example, in playgrounds and sports fields. Kemion has also developed a dust binder that is particularly suitable for applications where the dust binder comes into contact with the skin through the treated material.
Kemion’s products are mainly not classified and therefore completely safe to use. Kemion has identified the properties and effects of its products and, if necessary, classified them according to the CLP Regulation.
DUST BINDING TREATMENT
Dust binding can be done on all types of surfaces and materials. Kemion’s wide product range includes suitable products for various applications. Applications include passageways, material heaps, conveyors, crushers, and a wide variety of outdoor applications.
Dust binding can be done with water only, but on a warm and sunny day its duration is very short. Continuous watering takes time, incurs labour costs and consumes water resources unnecessarily.
The treatment is repeated whenever dusting of the treated area begins. For example, typically during one summer, the dust binding treatment can be done 2-4 times on sand and other unpaved surfaces. On the other hand, treatment on asphalt surfaces that are easily washed away by rain must be reprocessed more often. The duration of the treatment is typically affected by several factors, such as the amount of rain and traffic and the characteristics of the treated surface.
The duration of the treatment is mainly affected by weather conditions (rainfall) and the amount of traffic. With biodegradable products, the duration is also affected by the activity of the soil’s bacterial population. In addition, the duration is affected by the properties of the treated surface (material, road surface slopes, etc.) as well as maintenance measures. The most important thing is not to do the treatment before heavy rain as the products are mostly water-soluble. Heavy rain dilutes water-soluble products and shortens the duration.
APPLICATION OF DUST BINDERS
Most importantly prior to application, the unpaved area to be treated must be moist or wetted for the dust binder to be effectively penetrated into substrate. The application is therefore best done either before the night dew or rain has evaporated. If necessary, the dusty area is pre-watered with plain water.
It should also be noted that the treatment should not be carried out before heavy rainfall, as the products are mostly water-soluble. Heavy rain dilutes water-soluble products and shortens the dust binding effect.
If necessary, dilute the product according to the provided instructions.
The dosage varies depending on the application and dust binder. For paved surfaces such as asphalt, the application rate is approximately 0.05-0.03 l/m2. For unpaved surfaces, such as sandy areas, the application rate is 0.5-1.5. l/m2, depending on the volume of traffic.
On unpaved roads, the first application is recommended during spring tillage, when there is plenty of moisture left in the road structure.
The products are applied to the treated area with standard liquid spreaders as evenly as possible and in accordance with the given instructions. We recommend that you ensure the compatibility of the materials before application.
ORDERS, DELIVERY AND PRICING
Ask for an offer or more information about dust binding products from our Sales Manager Topias Heinisuo tel. +358 40 844 9439 or topias.heinisuo@kemion.fi.
Or you can place an order directly by e-mail to orders@kemion.fi.
We strive to keep our basic products in stock at all times. Our special products are manufactured and supplied according to demand. At the offer stage, we always announce the availability of the products and the more detailed delivery time for the order.
The prices of our wide range of products vary depending on the products and the availability of raw materials.
Ask for an offer from our Sales Manager Topias Heinisuo tel. +358 40 844 9439 or topias.heinisuo@kemion.fi.
Most of our orders leave our warehouse within three working days. For special products and larger orders, the delivery time may be longer or agreed separately.
In the case of separately agreed express deliveries, the order will leave our warehouse on the same or the next day according to additional pricing.
Products are available directly from our warehouse or we can deliver them directly to the customer’s address. We primarily offer FCA (free carrier) as a delivery term. Deliveries are always agreed with the customer.
Didn’t find the answer to your question? Contact as and we will help! You can contact us by e-mail at kemion@kemion.fi.
