Airborne Sulfur
Dust:
Composition and
Control
Jerry d’Aquin
Con-Sul, Inc. USA
consulinc.com
Member TSI, TFI, IFA
MESPON 2015 – Abu Dhabi -- 20 October 2015
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
MESPON 2015 – Abu Dhabi -- 20 October 2015
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Airborne Sulfur Particulate
NO ONE WANTS THIS
Sulfur can burn, explode
Dust is harmful to all
MESPON 2015 – Abu Dhabi -- 20 October 2015
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Airborne Sulfur Particulate
PURPOSE of PRESENTATION
•
•
•
•
Inform Research – 1983-86, 2006-2015
PROMOTE SAFETY
Safe guidelines
SHE responsibility
MESPON 2015 – Abu Dhabi -- 20 October 2015
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Airborne Sulfur Particulate
AIRBORNE SULFUR PARTICULATE
Pollutes environment when uncontained
Irritates throat, lungs, skin, eyes of
workers…families? and citizens
Static electricity can ignite
MESPON 2015 – Abu Dhabi -- 20 October 2015
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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
S MESPON 2015 – Abu Dhabi -- 20 October 2015
Airborne Sulfur Particulate
WHAT IS FORMED SULPHUR, what is not?
• 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
MESPON 2015 – Abu Dhabi -- 20 October 2015
FORMED SULFUR – PRODUCER SAMPLES
WET-FORMED
PRILLS
PASTILLES
MESPON 2015 – Abu Dhabi -- 20 October 2015
GRANULES
PARTICLE SIZES OF THE THREE FORMED SULPHUR TYPES
100
100.0
90
Source
70
60
50
Pastille
80.0
70.0
60.0
Granule
50.0
Pastille -- Shantz
Wet Prill
40.0
30.0
Granule – 20.0
East Calgary
40
30
% Retained on Individual Sieve
80
Shantz - #1 End of Belt @ Forming Bldg
Long Beach, Cal Sul, Belt
Brake GXI - Produced
90.0
10.0
Wet Prill – Long
Beach
0.0
0.1
1
10
Sieve Size (mm)
20
10
0
Pan
No. 50
No. 30
No. 16
No. 8
No. 6
No. 4
3/8"
PARTICLE SIZES OF THE THREE FORMED SULFUR TYPES
(Samples Taken at Ship’s Destination)
80
70
Sandvik, Wadi Sudr-Top
(Qingdao)
60
D-II - Beaumont (Unloaded SAFI)
50
40
Safi - ADNOC Vessel Hold
30
20
10
0
Pan
No. 50
2015 IFA Global Safety Summit
No. 30
No. 16
No. 8
No. 6
No. 4
3/8"
TRANSPORT IMPACTS PARTICLE SIZE - Pastille
120
100
Sandvik, Wadi Sudr-Top (Qingdao)
Shantz - Silo Reclaim
80
Shantz - First Machine on Right
60
40
20
0
Pan
No. 50
No. 30
No. 16
No. 8
No. 6
No. 4
3/8"
COMPOSITION, SIZE and DUST CONTENT VARY
SAME SHIP, retention sample GRANULE – ODESSA, Ukraine
A
MESPON 2015 – Abu Dhabi -- 20 October 2015
B
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A
GRANULAR SULFUR
PARTICULATE
SUB-50 MESH
300 micron (0.3mm)
ODESSA
B
Granular Sulfur Particulate:
sub-50 mesh, 300 micron
Screened at Odessa
Airborne Sulfur Particulate
SUB- 100 Mesh, 150 micron
0.5% of the total cargo is
not much
KEEP IT FROM
FROM BLOWING IN THE
WIND!
MESPON 2015 – Abu Dhabi -- 20 October 2015
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Airborne Sulfur Particulate
MICROSCOPIC SULFUR PARTICULATE
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Airborne Sulfur Particulate
AIRBORNE 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)
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Airborne Sulfur Particulate
WHAT MAKES SULPHUR DUST?
BULK HANDLING A FRIABLE PRODUCT
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Airborne Sulfur Particulate
CAUSES DEGRADATION and DUST
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Airborne Sulfur Particulate
MOISTURE IS USEFUL TO PREVENT BLOWING DUST
SPRAY WATER, SURFACTANT, FOAM
LIMITED EFFECTIVENESS
WITH DRY SULFUR PARTICULATE
Brake, Germany
MESPON 2015 – Abu Dhabi -- 20 October 2015
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Airborne Sulfur Particulate
MUST HAVE THOROUGH MIXING TO MOISTEN ALL
PARTICLES NOT EASY WITH RAPIDLY
MOVING CONVEYORS
WATER DOES NOT PERMEATE
THE SULFUR ‘COCOA EFFECT’
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Airborne Sulfur Particulate
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
MESPON 2015 – Abu Dhabi -- 20 October 2015
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Airborne Sulfur Particulate
WATER WORKS TO LIMIT ARBORNE PARTICULATE
Screen size
(Smaller than)
#50US 0.297mm
#100
0.149
#200
0.074
# 270
0.053
#100
0.149
September 2015, Alpine Laboratory
Moisture
Dry
1%
2%
1.0%
0.6
0.6
0.4
0.1
MESPON 2015 – Abu Dhabi -- 20 October 2015
0.2
0.1
0.0
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0.0
3%
0.0
Airborne Sulfur 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
MESPON 2015 – Abu Dhabi -- 20 October 2015
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Airborne Sulfur Particulate
•
•
•
•
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
MESPON 2015 – Abu Dhabi -- 20 October 2015
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Airborne Sulfur Particulate
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
MESPON 2015 – Abu Dhabi -- 20 October 2015
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Airborne Sulfur Particulate
OTHER ASPECTS OF SULFUR
FORMING, TRANSPORT &
HANDLING CAN BE IMPROVED
Jerry d’Aquin
consulinc.com
THANK YOU!
MESPON 2015 – Abu Dhabi -- 20 October 2015
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