Recycler Puts a Damper on Dust at C&D Material Recovery Facilities

“We wanted to employ the best technology available to suppress airborne particles and prevent them from traveling.”

-Paul Valenti
Facility Manager

The largest independently-owned recycler of construction and demolition debris in Florida has adopted high-performance misting equipment to stifle dust in two busy locations, helping to prevent airborne particles from migrating off the premises.  Sun Recycling has installed five DustBoss^® units between the two facilities, permanently mounted in elevated locations for broad coverage of the tipping floor.  The move supplements the company’s existing dust management measures, proactively addressing a common industry problem.

“A certain amount of dust is inevitable in our business,” said Facility Manager Paul Valenti.  “We wanted to employ the best technology available to suppress airborne particles and prevent them from traveling.”

Three of the five machines from BossTek (Peoria, IL) are at the Pompano Beach facility, where they’re permanently installed in an outdoor location.  The two Dania Beach units are in a building, and all five are tower-mounted to extend their range and effectiveness.  “By elevating the units, we give the droplets more hang time,” Valenti observed.  “That gives them more opportunity to contact dust particles and drive them to the ground.”

Dust can be released in just a few seconds when trucks are dumping or front loaders are transporting material, and Sun wanted to find a technique that would address the problem in the immediate area, as it was occurring.  According to Valenti, the two facilities run the oscillating dust suppression equipment virtually all day, as long as processing operations are underway.  After a brief start-up sequence, the machines run unattended, allowing staff to concentrate on core activities.

Sun Recycling currently owns and operates ten facilities in South Florida, recycling more than three million cubic yards of material per year in all.  The firm reclaims steel and other metals, wood, plastic and cardboard, using a combination of mechanical processing and human intelligence.  Sun’s operations currently recycle an average of 84% of the materials received across all facilities, with some locations above 90%.

Advanced Dust Management

The company has purchased three different equipment models to suit specific locations.  The DustBoss DB-30 is the smallest member of the family, a versatile unit with a 7.5 HP fan motor that generates 9,200 CFM of air movement.  The ducted fan design has an adjustable throw angle from 0-50° elevation and oscillates up to 70°.  With a throw of up to 100 feet from ground level, the DB-30 delivers exceptional coverage of more than 5,000 square feet using just a standard 5/8² garden hose.  From its elevated perch at the Sun Recycling locations, the unit’s reach is far greater.

Sun also has two DB-45s, a compact oscillating unit that can deliver a virtual dust blanket over 12,000 square feet of area (1,115 square meters) from a single location, with a throw of nearly 150 feet (45 meters).  With its 15 HP (11.2 Kw) fan, the DB-45 generates 18,000 CFM (510 CMM) of air flow to maximize coverage and particle capture.  The design features adjustable elevation from 0-50° and can be ordered on a wheeled carriage mount or a frame with skid mount.

Rounding out the suppression network are two DB-60s, the largest model in the DustBoss product line.  Launched by a powerful 25 HP motor that generates 30,000 CFM of air flow

(nearly 850 cubic meters per minute), the atomized spray has a throw of more than 200 feet (approx. 60 meters).  When equipped with optional 359° oscillation, a single machine can cover more than 125,000 square feet from one stationary location (a standard football field is 48,000 SF).

All DustBoss models are available with the company’s Variable Particle Sizing^TM technology, providing customers with a wide selection of different nozzles for suppressing specific particle sizes or dust outside the typical 50 - 200 μm range, such as odor-causing vapors or fine solids.  Any of the DustBoss designs can be ordered with a dosing pump to add surfactants for superior particle attraction or additives for odor control, and can be equipped with a supplemental filter system permitting the use of non-potable water sources.

BossTek is a global leader in the design and manufacturing of customized equipment utilizing atomized mist technology for dust suppression, odor control and crowd cooling. The firm’s staff helps customers analyze needs, working environments and other factors to ensure successful performance under real-world conditions. BossTek equipment can be purchased outright or rented from an extensive fleet. bosstek.com

CUSTOMER
Sun Recycling

LOCATION
Pompano and Dania Beach, FL (USA)

CHALLENGE
Find a technique that would immediately address dust creation from truck dumping and front loaders transporting material.

SOLUTION
5 DustBoss Units: DB-30, 2 DB-45s, 2 DB-60s

RESULTS
The various DustBoss units performed well onsite and suppressed unwanted dust at Pompano and Dania Beach. Sun Recycling is currently owned by Waste Management.