This article examines the critical role of Bitumen Emulsion Plants in the global mining sector. It explores how emulsified bitumen provides a sustainable, cost-effective solution for haul road stabilization and dust suppression in remote mining sites, while introducing the SINOTO Bitumen Emulsion Plant as the ultimate industrial solution for on-site production.
The quality of infrastructure is intrinsic to profitability in the challenging environment of large scale mining operations. The arteries of any mine, its haul roads, determine cycle time for transport vehicles and the lifespan of precious mining equipment, from the copper mines of Chile to the coal basins of South Africa and the iron ore pits of Australia.
With the need to find more sustainable and economical solutions that can keep these vital connections open, the bitumen emulsion plant is proving to be a key technology. The on-site emulsified bitumen production not only ensures quality and effectiveness of the roads, but it also lowers the road construction’s logistical requirements for the mining operators.
Hauling roads on mines are exposed to severe conditions. They have to withstand the very high gross vehicle weights that frequently exceed 400 tons on a truck and be able to withstand the abrasive forces of constant traffic.
A. Dust Suppression:In dry mining situations, dust is not only a nuisance, but a safety hazard and mechanical killer. Fine particulate matter can cause accidents due to their impact on visibility for drivers and can also get into the intake mechanisms of heavy engines, resulting in premature wear and expensive down time.
B. Surface erosion:In wet climates, unpaved mining roads become impassable mud and/or experience serious “potholing” and erosion problems. This is temporary and necessitates continuous reapplication, and can be water and labour intensive.
Bitumen emulsion is a high-tech chemical solution. Compared to “hot” bitumen, which needs to be heated constantly, emulsion is a liquid blend of bitumen, water and emulsifying agent which can be applied at ambient temperatures.
For many mining locations, a remote location is the “nightmare” part of the logistical equation. Often transporting hot bitumen for hundreds of kilometers is not possible because of a temperature loss.
Bitumen emulsion plants overcome this by providing the ability to produce bitumen emulsion on-site. Emulsified bitumen is
a. Environment Friendly:It does away with hydrocarbon solvents (cutback bitumen), minimizing the VOC (volatile organic compound) impact of the mine.
b. Safety Oriented:It is processed in lower temperatures so thermal burns to the operator are minimized.
c. Highly Penetrative:Being water-based, emulsion is able to penetrate the fine aggregate of a haul road and unite the soil particles together to form a strong, waterproof road.
SINOTO has created a range of bitumen emulsion plants designed to meet the challenges of the mining industry. We manufacture equipment that can be used to work in remote, high dust and extreme temperature environments and ensure a consistent supply of binder, regardless of the location of the mine.
The quality of an emulsion depends completely on the particle size of the droplets of bitumen suspended in the water. The plant has a state of the art high shear colloidal mill, which is a unique and efficient type of mill.An unique and efficient type of mill is the SINOTO plant high shear colloidal mill. This precision engineered aggregate is a process which breaks down the bitumen into droplets of 2-5 microns or smaller. This fine dispersion makes for a stable emulsion during storage and provides an even “break” after the emulsion has been placed on the road surface.
Mines may be mobile or located in an area with limited permanent facilities. SINOTO Bitumen Emulsion Plants are factory-designed into 20-foot or 40-foot container frames.
Easy Deployment: The plant can be transported on the normal transport logistics and easily installed in a planting site on a simple concrete pad within days.
Protection from Elements: The containerized housing safeguards the critical PLC controls and pumping systems against the dust and bits of rock that tumble in the mining pit.
To maintain the consistency of mining road performance, it is crucial to have a reliable performance measurement system. The SINOTO system is based on a completely automatic Siemens-based PLC interface. This enables the site manager to accurately monitor the proportion of bitumen, water and soap (emulsifier) solutions used. The SINOTO plant can produce the same high quality emulsion recipe for the production of a Slow-Setting (SS) emulsion for deep soil stabilization or a Rapid-Setting (RS) emulsion for surface tacking.
The initial use of a SINOTO Bitumen Emulsion Plant at a mine is likely to be the production of “stabilized base layers. Engineers combine emulsion with the existing granular pavement on the haul road (usually done with the help of a recycler or grader) to produce a semi-flexible pavement.
This stabilized layer:
a. Improves Load-Bearing Capacity: Lowerers “rolling resistance” of the trucks, potentially cutting fuel costs for a mine by 5-10%.
b. Prevents Water Ingress: Water is the major cause of a road failure during rainy days or monsoon season; therefore, it is a crucial factor to prevent it.
c. Dust at the Source is eliminated: The emulsion “glues” the fines into the road matrix, rather than “wetting” the dust, resulting in a dust free environment for months instead of hours.
The mining industry is becoming more efficient and environmentally friendly. Bitumen emulsion is no longer considered a “road building” tool, but rather an essential tool for mining utility equipment.
When it comes to turning a difficult logistics challenge into a competitive edge, companies can rest assured that they have access to powerful, reliable and technologically advanced machinery with the solutions of SINOTO. Better roads are faster cycles, safer drivers and more profitable mines.
We supply our clients with ‘live shots’ as well as data from factory testing to ensure that before the plant ever leaves our premises it has been calibrated to the exact chemical properties of the bitumen and water at the mining site.
Call our Technical Engineering Department today for a consultation of how installing a bitumen emulsion plant on site can change your mining infrastructure. At SINOTO, we’re not just manufacturing machines, but we’re laying the groundwork for your success in the global arena.
Whatsapp ID: 008619059581045
WeChat ID: +86371 80955068
