Often, customers ask if they can apply our product themselves for topical dust control. Many times the customer already has or has access to the proper equipment. However, there are common cases where they do not. The following is a brief overview of the recommended application equipment for the application of Earthbind® 100 for topical dust control.
Earthbind®100 is considered to be an environmentally-friendly bio-based modified asphalt emulsion that is specifically made for dust control. For dust control on unpaved aggregate roads, we typically recommend 0.10 to 0.15-gallons of Earthbind®100 concentrate per square yard with a concentration of 0.12-gallons typically the norm.
Earthbind®100 is shipped in a concentrated liquid form and diluted with water for application purposes. When using a 0.12-gallon of concentrate per square yard target then the concentrate is typically diluted with 5-parts water (to 1-part concentrate) to make the Earthbind® solution.
The Earthbind® solution is then applied to the surface of an unpaved road using a pressurized water or distributor truck at a rate of 1/3-gallon per square yard in two applications. The first application typically infiltrates rapidly and you will see bubbles form on the surface indicating that the Earthbind® solution has soaked in and displacing soil gases. Then when all of the first application has soaked in and there is no free solution “ponding” on the road surface, but the road surface is still moist, then apply the second solution. The moisture helps the second application to infiltrate deeper.
Once the water used to make the Earthbind® solution dries, the product is considered to be cured. The residual remaining on your road will bind the loose particles together keeping them from blowing off as fugitive dust and washing off as suspended solids.
Recommended Equipment
An Earthbind® solution must be applied with the appropriate equipment. Typical application equipment includes:
• Gravity fed water trucks (Good)
• Pressurized water trucks (Better) and
• Computerized distributor trucks (Best)
The application equipment must be able to apply a solution at a rate of ¼ to ½-gallon per square yard fairly accurately and evenly. Also depending upon the size of the project the application truck tank should hold 500-gallons at a minimum. When using a gravity fed water truck for topical dust control, make sure it spreads solutions to the road surface evenly. A water truck that splashes, dribbles or trickles a solution should not be used.
Do not use hand, wand, agricultural or ATV sprayers (or the equivalent) to apply an Earthbind solution for dust control. The reason for this is that these sprayers do not apply enough solution at a time for proper coverage and adequate infiltrations. The Earthbind® solution will only be “airbrushed” on the surface and infiltration will be minimum therefore compromising product longevity.
Please feel free to contact a Blue Line sales engineer at 800-536-2650, if you have any Earthbind® application question