airborne sulfur dust: composition and...

MESPON 2015 – Abu Dhabi -- 20 October 2015

Jerry d’Aquin Con-Sul, Inc. USA

consulinc.com

Member TSI, TFI, IFA

Airborne Sulfur Dust:

Composition and Control

MESPON 2015 – Abu Dhabi -- 20 October 2015 [email protected]

Airborne Sulfur Particulate INTRODUCTION

• Who is Con-Sul?

Client-Specific “Commercial Consulting” since 1987

Formed Sulfur Expertise since 1983

• Why speak at MESPON 2015?

YOU ARE THE CENTER of global sulfur PRODUCTION Safety, Health & Environment is your RESPONSIBILITY

Angie’s goal: Truthful Problem Solving Exchanges


Airborne Sulfur Particulate

NO ONE WANTS THIS

Sulfur can burn, explode Dust is harmful to all



PURPOSE of PRESENTATION

• Inform Research – 1983-86, 2006-2015

• PROMOTE SAFETY

• Safe guidelines

• SHE responsibility



Pollutes environment when uncontained

Irritates throat, lungs, skin, eyes of workers…families? and citizens

Static electricity can ignite

AIRBORNE SULFUR PARTICULATE

S MESPON 2015 – Abu Dhabi -- 20 October 2015

Airborne Sulfur particulate

TODAY’S OUTLINE

• What is “Formed Sulfur”

• What is size distribution, pre/post shipping

• What is Airborne Sulfur Particulate

• Mitigating Airborne Particulate



• Formed Sulphur: Pastille, Prill or Granule Each uses a different manufacturing process • Not Formed Sulphur: Irregular shaped pieces --

dusty “Slate” to very dusty “Crushed Bulk”, “Lump”– over 15% under 300 micron

WHAT IS FORMED SULPHUR, what is not?


FORMED SULFUR – PRODUCER SAMPLES

PASTILLES

WET-FORMED PRILLS GRANULES

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

100.0

0.1 1 10

% R

eta

ined o

n I

ndiv

idual S

ieve

Sieve Size (mm)

Shantz - #1 End of Belt @ Forming Bldg

Long Beach, Cal Sul, Belt

Brake GXI - Produced

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Pan No. 50 No. 30 No. 16 No. 8 No. 6 No. 4 3/8"

PARTICLE SIZES OF THE THREE FORMED SULPHUR TYPES

Granule

Source Pastille -- Shantz Granule – East Calgary Wet Prill – Long Beach

Pastille

Wet Prill

2015 IFA Global Safety Summit

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80


Sandvik, Wadi Sudr-Top(Qingdao)

D-II - Beaumont (Unloaded SAFI)

Safi - ADNOC Vessel Hold

PARTICLE SIZES OF THE THREE FORMED SULFUR TYPES (Samples Taken at Ship’s Destination)

TRANSPORT IMPACTS PARTICLE SIZE - Pastille

0

20

40

60

80

100

120


Sandvik, Wadi Sudr-Top (Qingdao)

Shantz - Silo Reclaim

Shantz - First Machine on Right


A B

COMPOSITION, SIZE and DUST CONTENT VARY SAME SHIP, retention sample GRANULE – ODESSA, Ukraine

A GRANULAR SULFUR PARTICULATE SUB-50 MESH 300 micron (0.3mm) ODESSA

B

Granular Sulfur Particulate: sub-50 mesh, 300 micron Screened at Odessa



0.5% of the total cargo is not much KEEP IT FROM FROM BLOWING IN THE WIND!

SUB- 100 Mesh, 150 micron



MICROSCOPIC SULFUR PARTICULATE



ESTIMATED minus 100 mesh to 200 mesh US Minus 150 micron to plus 75 micron particles

equaled ONE-HALF OF ONE PERCENT (0.5%) of each sample

A 30,000 ton cargo of formed sulfur could include 150 tons of such tiny particle

(in this case, minus 75 micron particles add another 14 tons)

AIRBORNE SULFUR PARTICULATE



BULK HANDLING A FRIABLE PRODUCT WHAT MAKES SULPHUR DUST?



CAUSES DEGRADATION and DUST



SPRAY WATER, SURFACTANT, FOAM

LIMITED EFFECTIVENESS

WITH DRY SULFUR PARTICULATE

Brake, Germany

MOISTURE IS USEFUL TO PREVENT BLOWING DUST



MUST HAVE THOROUGH MIXING TO MOISTEN ALL PARTICLES -

NOT EASY WITH RAPIDLY MOVING CONVEYORS

WATER DOES NOT PERMEATE THE SULFUR ‘COCOA EFFECT’



SULFUR DUST MUST BE MOIST TO LIMIT AIRBORNE PARTICULATE

• MIXED IN WATER, SULFUR PLATELETS WILL ADHERE TO ONE ANOTHER’S FLAT SURFACES THROUGH WATER’s “SURFACE TENSION”

• MOISTURE BETWEEN THESE FLAT PARTICLES WILL BE ATTRACTED TO SIMILARLY-LINKED WATER MOLECULES

• MOIST SULFUR PARTICLES WILL LINK INTO LARGER PIECES, LIMITING AIRBORNE DUST



September 2015, Alpine Laboratory

Moisture

Screen size Dry 1% 2% 3%

(Smaller than)

#50US 0.297mm 1.0% 0.2 0.0 0.0

#100 0.149 0.6 0.1

#200 0.074 0.6 0.0

# 270 0.053 0.4

#100 0.149 0.1

WATER WORKS TO LIMIT ARBORNE PARTICULATE



ALTERNATIVES TO ACHIEVE MOISTURE CONTENT FOR PARTICULATE-FREE TRANSFERS

• USE VERY FINE SPRAYS and MIXING ON CONVEYER BELTS and AT TRANSFER POINTS -- have complete storage and reclaim delivery system checked by experts in sulfur handling

• THOROUGHLY WET PRIOR TO RECLAMATION

• SOLIDIFY BY DIRECT IMMERSION IN WATER



ALWAYS REMEMBER

• Sulfur is brittle and fractures easily

• DRY Sub-150 micron easily becomes airborne

• Moisture prevents airborne particulate

• BE CLEAN – BE SAFE: +1 to 2% moisture specification for your Formed Sulfur, properly applied



CONCLUSION -- USE + 1% MOISTURE MINIMUM

• VERY LITTLE: • Additional cost for 1% to 2% moisture is

insignificant compared to cargo value • IT IS CHEAP FOR SAFETY, HEALTH and

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION it provides at PRODUCER and CONSUMER LOCATIONS

IT IS THE RIGHT WAY TO GO



OTHER ASPECTS OF SULFUR FORMING, TRANSPORT & HANDLING CAN BE IMPROVED Jerry d’Aquin consulinc.com

THANK YOU!

airborne sulfur dust: composition and...

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