Novosibirsk State Technical University (NETI) scientists have begun testing the dust suppressor they created from plant-based polymers in practice. The first stage of testing took place in the Kirovsky district: with the help of special equipment, the substance was applied to a road section and the first results were recorded.
Within the framework of the "Priority 2030" program Ekaterina Litvinova's team, a Candidate of Biological Sciences from NSTU-NETI, has developed a domestic dust suppressor based on plant polymers. It is a liquid product with biopolymers and microorganisms used in biological products.
After spraying onto a dirty surface, its constituent substances bind fine dust particles into large agglomerates. A thin film is formed that prevents weathering and blowing of fine dust particles. The drug is completely safe for the environment and biodegradable: bacteria further absorb the film along with dust particles.
"The dust suppressor has already proven its effectiveness in the laboratory. After dust treatment with a solution of the drug, the effect persists for two weeks, and even longer when wetted. During this time, the bacteria in the drug begin to partially digest small dirt particles," said Ekaterina Litvinova, head of the New Engineering Solutions and Artificial Intelligence for the Medical Industry project.
On June 27, the drug created at NSTU-NETI was tested in urban conditions, for which 50 liters of dust suppressant were diluted in a ratio of 1:4 with water and a section of the street in the Kirovsky district was treated with special equipment.
The NSTU scientists checked the first results immediately — after spraying, a film formed on the road, and the dust gathered in lumps. Observations of the behavior of the dust suppressor and the effect of its use will take two weeks. Together with the scientists, representatives of the Kirovsky district administration will monitor the progress of the research.
The urban environment is not the only area of application of the dust suppressor. It can also be used in manufacturing plants, mines, agricultural industries, bulk material warehouses and railway tracks. It is economically advantageous to use the product created at NSTU-NETI: compared with world analogues, the price is much lower due to the fact that it is developed from local raw materials.
"We are currently negotiating with the Achinsk Alumina Combine. There is a road there that also needs to be treated. Our team calculated the economics for the quarries, and it turned out that using our drug was 200% more profitable," Ekaterina Litvinova noted.