Along with sugar, salt and grain fertilizers pose a threat during transportation and storage. One of the main components of modern-day fertilizers – nitrate – is also used in the manufacture of explosives. This fact should not be overlooked when dealing with fertilizer dust collection.
Dust produced during the manufacturing and transportation process of many different substances, like fertilizers, poses a significant risk of spontaneous combustion. Particulates that come from a volatile substrate are especially dangerous. The explosion may happen in the case of a flame front emergence – a zone where the chemical reaction of oxidation achieves ignition. Due to the large surface area of dust particulates, the oxidization or flashing is highly probable. The smaller the particles, the higher the probability of them reacting with the environment, which can lead to a rapid expansion of the gases surrounding the particulates.
Therefore, stopping the flame front and reducing the static is a primary concern for fertilizer manufacturers.
The presence of fertilizer dust does not only pose a threat of combustion, but also creates a harmful environment for workers as fertilizer dust causes irritation when inhaled, ingested, or through contact with skin. Heavy-metal fertilizers have elevated levels of dangerous metals such as cadmium, arsenic, and lead. There are numerous health-related side effects of exposure to these metals, some of which include eye irritation, skin burns, nausea, headache, uncontrolled muscle movement, etc.
The fertilizer dust is a serious concern for multiple facilities, like warehouses, farms, fertilizer manufacturing plants, bulk retail sites. Due to high risks of explosion and dangerous health effects of fertilizer dust, regulations regarding the amount of fertilizer dust present in the air have been implemented. Fertilizer dust collection is an important aspect of fertilizer production and storage.
The right fertilizer dust collector will not only reduce the risks associated with it, but also improve employee health and talent retention. Optromix presents Scroiler™ – an innovative wet air scrubber that operates differently compared to other wet scrubbers. The Scroiler™’s design and construction allow it to not clog when scrubbing fertilizer dust. Clogging is an issue that is still mostly unresolved for most wet air scrubber systems – the scrubber often become ineffective or break down due to the clogging that occurs when fertilizer dust comes in contact with water. The dough-like substance causes problems for most wet scrubbers as it is hard to remove and causes troubles in scrubber’s operation. Scroiler™ does not clog and can operate at full capacity even when collecting fertilizer dust.
If you are interested in Scroiler™, please contact us at info@optromix.com