Reynolds Soil Technologies (RST) has experienced an increase in demand for its Hi-Foam product as mining and quarrying companies look for ways to reduce water consumption.
Hi-Foam is a dust suppressant product that requires substantially less water than conventional water spray dust systems that are used traditionally in the industry.
The product is uniquely formulated to be more effective at suppressing dust in the crushing and bulk material handling processes than wet spray systems.
When Hi-Foam is applied via the foaming generation system, it creates a flowable foam that engulfs all fine particles in a total dust blanket effect, increasing their weight so the dust cannot become airborne.
RST operations and technical director David Handel said one of the advantages of Hi-Foam was that it stopped dust lift-off in the first instance.
“Hi-Foam requires significantly less water than other dust suppression products, making it an environmentally smarter product during times of drought and water shortages,” Handel said.
“Mining sites and quarries within Australia and across the world are having to be a lot more mindful about their water consumption as increased pressure is being placed on them to ensure their operations have less of an environmental impact.
“Mines are using up to half the amount of water compared to conventional wet spray dust suppression systems and as a result curbing their expenditure on water.”
RST is supplying record amounts of Hi-Foam to projects in Australia, which is suffering from scarce water supplies, and copper and gold mines in Chile, which is experiencing its driest decade in recorded history.
The company also supplies a customisable mechanical foaming dispensing system that produces the Hi-Foam solution through the controlled mixing of compressed air, water and the Hi-Foam formula.
“The way a product is applied can significantly impact performance, that’s why being able to design and customise both the product and the application equipment allows us to ensure our clients experience the maximum benefits from our service,” Handel said.