DUST CONTROL GUIDELINES FOR FERTILIZER BLENDING PLANTS
- TRANSPORTATION
(1) Rail car/truck/spreader box must be clean
(2) Rail car/truck box should be water proof
(3) Minimize drop heights of fertilizer at all times
(4) Do not load fertilizer in the rain
(5) Reject off spec material
(6) Suppliers must be advised clearly of our physical fertilizer guidelines
- UNLOADING
(1) Unloading vehicles should be equipped with socks to keep dust to a minimum
(2) Dusty material should either be rejected or oiled
(3) Make sure elevators are tightly sealed
(4) Avoid use of flinger belts
(5) Use slow speed handling systems or a sealed system
- STORING
(1) Keep doors on storage building closed
(2) Reduce air changes
- SHIPPING OUT
(1) Enclose your tower if possible
(2) Elevators seal tightly
(3) Enclose vibrating screen room and keep area swept clean
(4) All chutes should be tightly sealed and have sealed clean out lids
(5) Chutes discharging onto belts should be equipped with rubber flaps or sealed at discharge point to keep dust to a minimum
(6) Holding bin penthouses should be enclosed and keep spilled material cleaned up.
(7) Discharge bins - unloading height into customer's vehicle should be kept to a minimum. Exhaust ducts could be used or flexible hose attachment to adjust to desire height.
(8) Screens must be in good condition to give proper separation.
(9) Holding bins above weigh scale should have a type of skirt or housing (so as not to interfere with weighing) around weigh hopper to control dust from holding bins. The same should be installed on discharge side of weigh hopper to the mixer.
- HOUSEKEEPING
(1) Have a housekeeping plan in effect - assign specific tasks to staff on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
(2) After every season, the entire plant should be cleaned: elevators, conveyors, chutes, machinery and walls. An annual clean up is part of a sound management plan.
(3) Good housekeeping reflects the attitude of the company and employee to the type of operation.
DRAFT I - STILL SUBJECT TO REVIEW
- PRODUCT GUIDELINES FOR GRANULAR MATERIALS USED IN BLENDING AGRICULTURAL FERTILIZERS
Association recommends the use of size-compatible materials, preferably SGN 270 (plus or minus 20) in the blending of farm fertilizers. Granular materials will be essentially dust free.
The fraction smaller than 0.25 mm will be recognized as "dust" and will not exceed 0.15% in the producer's composite shipping sample
The fraction passing through a 1 mm sieve and retained on a 0.25 mm sieve will be recognized as "fines" and will not exceed 4% in the producer's composite shipping sample.
SGN - 270 (Typical Material)
GRANULAR FERTILIZER
CUMULATIVE RETAINED RETAINED ON SCREEN OPENING % Average % Range Tyler No. U.S. No. mm 0 0 - 5 5 5 4.00 45 30 - 60 7 7 2.80 90 80 - 100 9 9 2.00 97 93 - 100 12 14 1.40 99 96 - 100 16 18 1.00 99.95 99.85 - 100 60 60 0.25
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