Feb 21 2011
In its ongoing efforts to develop environmentally sound products, dust control leader Midwest has introduced Dust Fyghter LN100, a new formulation of its Dust Fyghter product line.
"At quarries, mines and other areas where paving is not the dust-control method of choice," said company founder and CEO Bob Vitale. "Dust from unpaved roads whip up environmental, health and regulatory challenges.
“We saw – and with Dust Fyghter LN100 filled – a need for a cost-effective, easy-to-use alternative to chloride, one that would not only eliminate harmful dust but also leave surrounding foliage and surface waters unharmed,” Vitale said.
Based on lignins rather than chlorides, Dust Fyghter LN100, a non-corrosive lignosulfonate derived from abundant renewable resources, coats individual road particles with a thin adhesive-like film that binds road surface particles together. Water evaporates from the product as it dries, trapping dust particles in the high-viscosity, naturally sticky material that remains.
Dust Fyghter LN100-treated unpaved roads are safer than untreated roads on which visibility-clouding dust clouds are inevitability. Easily applied via existing water trucks or spray equipment, Dust Fyghter LN100, is a good choice for controlling dust on access and haul roads in the mining and steel industries as well as in municipalities because it:
- Creates a skid-resistant surface
- Improves visibility on dirt roads
- Stabilizes surfaces against potholes and wash boarding
- Is non-toxic
About lignins and lignosulfonates. Commercial lignins are complex, naturally-occurring polymers produced as co-products of sulfite pulping in the paper industry. In wood, they perform as glue that holds the cellulose fibers of pulp together. When separated from wood and processed for use on unpaved roads, they bind dust particles to the aggregate on roads the same way the bind the cellulose fibers in wood pulp.
The product that keeps on working
Dust Fyghter LN100 is typically applied at a rate of 1 gallon per 40 square feet and is diluted with water at a ratio of 1:1 or 2:1. One of its road-enhancing qualities of Dust Fyghter LN100 is that product already in a road’s surface is easily rejuvenated by light watering, light grading, and subsequent applications. Shelf life is not an issue with Dust Fyghter LN100 because it can be stored for long periods of time.
Midwest lives in, manufactures for, and delivers Earth-conscious solutions to clients in the quarry, mining, construction, iron/steel and other industries whose success depends on overcoming dust, erosion, ice, soil stabilization and other operating issues. Among its tested and certified lineup of dust control products are EnviroKleen®, EK35® and Soil-Sement®.