The product, which is environmentally safe, has been designed for application to bulk coal in one treatment at the mine site. RST said it can offer coal quality production and dust suppression while also permitting a boost to material handling with its higher level of dust suppression.

TCC is suitable for use to suppress dust during loading, transfer points or storage, giving long-term control of dust and coal protection from moisture and oxidation. It can also help prevent stockpile fires and control rain erosion, slumping and material loss.

"TCC is a deep treatment that penetrates, agglomerates and coats the coal particles while remaining flexible and film-forming for the effective handling of coal," RST said.

"This advanced treatment binds fine coal particles during mining to significantly minimise dust and forms a skin/crust that coats material when stockpiled or transported in rail wagons, trucks and ships, all the way to the final delivery point of the coal buyer."

Company operations and technical director David Handel added the product can be helpful not only to coal mine operators, but also to transportation companies, ports, power stations and steel mills when moving coal.

Should added suppression be needed in any of those applications, small amounts of water sprayed onto the TCC-treated coal at different transfer points can reactivate the suppression properties.

RST offers tailor-made mechanical equipment, engineering services and managed systems for dust suppression, road stabilisation, erosion control, water and sediment solutions and carryback reduction.