Dust-A-Side Targets Airborne Dust at Plants, Conveyors and Stockpiles

Dust-A-Side, the South African dust control company, is turning attention this October to the parts of an operation where dust is created as material is moved: conveyors, transfer points, crushers, tip areas and stockpiles. Much of South Africa's interior is still in the dry, windy stretch before the summer rains settle in, and for mines, quarries, process plants and bulk terminals that means airborne dust remains a daily concern for visibility, worker health and neighbouring communities.

While haul roads often get the most attention in dust management, Dust-A-Side's work runs from pit to port. Its range covers binders and non-binders for roads, along with mist systems, fog cannons and wetting agents for the plant, processing and materials handling side of a site.

Why material handling points need their own approach

Dust behaves differently at a conveyor or crusher than it does on a road. It is generated in concentrated bursts as ore and other materials drop, tip or are crushed, and it is quickly carried by the wind. Effective dust control at these points needs to capture fine particles in the air and stop them from travelling, without soaking the material or the equipment.

Dust-A-Side offers two system types for this work, and many operations use both.

High pressure mist systems

A high pressure dust suppression system atomises low volumes of water at pressures above 40 bar to create a fine mist. The mist captures airborne dust through agglomeration and forms a curtain around the material handling point, preventing dust from travelling further.

Dust-A-Side describes suppression as the preferred option at material handling points because it uses little water, which matters in areas where water is scarce. It also keeps moisture out of the material, avoiding wet conveyors and blocked chutes. The company notes that a suppression system is cheaper to install and maintain than a dust extraction system, is more flexible than other methods, and can double as a coolant for furnace discharge material on conveyors.

Applications include stockpiles, conveyors, rail wagons, transfer points, tipping areas, loading terminals, storage facilities, demolition sites, drilling and blasting sites, excavations, quarries and rock crushing plants. Listed benefits include reduced respirable and visible dust, minimal water use, less conveyor slippage, fewer chute and screen blockages, no excess moisture in the ore, better housekeeping and safer work areas during operation.

Low pressure mist systems

Low pressure systems take the opposite route, using larger volumes of water below 10 bar to pre-wet material at close range, usually on conveyors or at the start of a transfer point. Because the droplets are larger, these are often called wetting systems. Their effectiveness is less affected by wind and temperature, and maintenance costs are slightly lower than for other systems, which makes them useful at stockpile discharge conveyors and similar points.

Fog cannons for large open areas

Where dust is spread across a wide area, Dust-A-Side supplies fog cannons, also known as mist cannons. A fog cannon pumps highly pressurised water through jet nozzles, atomising it into a fine mist that a powerful fan throws over a distance. The droplets are matched to the size of visible and respirable dust particles, allowing large-scale dust suppression in open spaces.

Fog cannons are portable and can be mounted on a trailer or skid. They oscillate and have adjustable throw angles, so they can follow changes in wind direction or move with the dust-generating activity. A common use is as a mist blanket or curtain between operations and nearby communities. Typical applications include plant tip areas, opencast blasting areas, stockpiles and stockyards, mine dumps, industrial plants and tailings or waste dams. Dust-A-Side notes that fog cannons use significantly less water than low pressure watering and release no harsh chemicals into the environment.

Surfactants that make each litre of water work harder

Water on its own does not always wet fine or hydrophobic dust well. Dust-A-Side's HydroPlus is a surface-active agent that reduces the surface tension of water, improving its ability to wet hydrophobic and respirable dust particles of less than 10 micron. It is ratio-fed into the feed water of high pressure mist systems or fog cannons. The company's HydroWet additive does a similar job on non-permanent road surfaces with high fines, and builds a cumulative effect with repeated use. Both are free of salts and organic chlorides, biodegradable and safe for vegetation.

For longer-term protection of stockpiles and hard park areas, the company's AquaTarp synthetic polymer binder forms a waterproof layer that does not leach once cured, maintaining dust control through dry seasons and reducing material loss to wind erosion.

Designed around the site, then measured

Every Dust-A-Side project starts with a needs analysis. The company carries out a detailed site assessment backed by testing in a SANAS-accredited laboratory, including complimentary soil and water analysis, so that each solution is tailored to the operation rather than taken off the shelf. In-house manufacturing and bulk transport support delivery to remote sites, and clients can choose a full turnkey service or selected components, with plant, equipment, skilled personnel, Safety Management Plans and training available.

After installation, performance is tracked with tools such as DASMetrics and mobile dust monitoring, giving real-time data that helps keep a dust management plan running efficiently. Dust-A-Side holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications and positions health, safety, environment and quality at the centre of its work, which matters for operations under pressure to meet environmental regulations and avoid fines or stoppages.

Operations that want to review dust at their plant, conveyors or stockpiles before the hot months can find product details and a contact form at https://dustaside.com/.

About Dust-A-Side

Dust-A-Side is a South African born dust control company with an international footprint. It provides dust management, road management and erosion control for opencast and underground mines, quarries, process plants, construction sites, railways, agriculture, municipal and rural roads, transport yards, dry bulk terminals and tailings facilities. Its range includes bitumen emulsion, lignosulphonate and polymer binders, HydroWet and HydroPlus surfactants, high and low pressure mist systems, fog cannons, DAS monitoring and DASMetrics road performance evaluation tools. The company holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications and uses a SANAS-accredited laboratory for site testing.

Media Contact
Dust-A-Side
Email: info@dustaside.com
Phone: +27 12 648 8900
Website: https://dustaside.com/