Demonstration Overview
The STED Program is currently in planning to demonstrate biobased dust suppressants for use in dust control operations at Department of Defense (DoD) Installations.
Dust suppressants have been designated for Federal procurement preference by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) BioPreferred Program. The BioPreferred Program defines dust suppressants as
“Products formulated to reduce or eliminate the spread of dust associated with gravel roads, dirt parking lots, or similar sources of dust, including products used in equivalent indoor applications.”
The BioPreferred Program established a minimum biobased content of 85 percent for dust suppressants.
Before these biobased products are utilized by the Military Departments and DoD Components, their performance must be proven to meet DoD requirements.
Demonstration Products
Demonstration products are currently being evaluated against site-specific requirements.
Demonstration Sites
Field demonstrations of these products are being planned at the following DoD installations and co-located federal facilities to evaluate their performance in Military operational environments and to raise awareness of biobased product availability:
- Fort Irwin/National Training Center
- Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms
- Edwards AFB
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Armstrong Flight Research Center
Demonstration Details
Chemical dust suppressants are applied to ground and pile surfaces to enhance their stability and reduce dust generation. In the DoD environment, excessive dust generation can present hazards to personnel and surrounding communities, transport and training, and aviation while increasing infrastructure and equipment maintenance costs. Traditional chemical dust suppression has relied on petroleum- or salt-based compounds that present environmental and corrosion risks and are not readily biodegradable. More recently, synthetic polymer and biobased products have come into use that mitigate these associated risks. Biobased dust suppressants have potential performance and Environmental, Safety and Occupational Health advantages over petroleum- and salt-based products in certain applications. Biobased dust suppressants are typically non-toxic and many are biodegradable, non-corrosive, and contain little or no Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).
For more information regarding the biobased dust suppressant demonstration, please Contact Us.
