The Clean and Healthy Air Management Program (CHAMP) has increased industry’s focus on their environmental performance.

Gladstone Industry Leadership Group employees have collectively suggested and shared well over 150 CHAMP ideas. One example is an idea to reduce alumina dust emissions from Queensland Alumina Limited (QAL).

Once produced, alumina needs to be kept out of the weather so at QAL it is stored in two large A-frame sheds. When it is required for ship loading, air slides inside the A-frames are used to move the alumina onto conveyors.  These air slides are porous tiles or felt covered chutes which use pressurised air to fluidise the alumina on top of the slide so that it runs like water.

The same effect is used on air hockey tables where pressurised air coming through tiny holes in the surface of the table causes the puck to float.

When cracks form in these air slides, alumina falls through them and this can cause dead storage areas. When this occurs, the pressurised air can force alumina through relief valves in the A-frame. This alumina then builds up outside the A-frame and can cause dust.

An overhaul of all A-frame air slides is currently underway, but in the meantime a solution was needed to capture this released alumina.

A team of QAL employees nominated this need as a CHAMP idea. However, an initial trial of an off-the-shelf dust collector found that the bin was too small and not easily emptied or manoeuvred.

Inspired by one member’s home vacuum cleaner, the QAL project team then designed a cyclone system which captures the alumina as it passes through the relief valve. A one tonne capacity alumina collection system was then fabricated and assembled on site.

This solution not only effectively stopped dust emissions; the captured alumina could also be returned uncontaminated back into the A-frame. The success of this system has lead to three more dust collection systems being built on site.

This idea and its implementation is a great example of how small changes can help reduce industry dust emissions. Well done to all those involved!

If you would like to see photos of how QAL has reduced alumina losses from their A-frames, please click here.

If you would like to have your say and don't know how, please click on this link which shows you how to register and make a comment, anonymously if you wish

I look forward to hearing from you soon, cheers, Kurt.

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