Best Practices to Store and Handle Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag

Ground granulated blast furnace slag price is one of the many considerations when using the GGBS in your construction material. It is usually considered for the cementitious properties along with the material’s durability and sustainability benefits.

You must ensure that the quality of GGBS is preserved over time and is always at the peak of its performance. For this purpose, you must consider using the right storage and handling practices. Here are some of the best practices that can help maintain the quality of GGBS, especially during storage and transportation.

·         It is important to understand the properties of GGBS before you set out to understand the ways to maintain the quality of the product. GGBS is a fine and powdery material that is produced when you grind the granulated blast furnace slag. This slag is a byproduct of iron and steel manufacturing. As they are available in fine particle size, they are easily vulnerable to external factors like contamination and moisture. When you are storing or handling the GGBS, you must consider a few factors. The hygroscopic nature of the product allows it to absorb the moisture from the air. As a result, it leads to clumping. Moreover, the density and flowability of the fine particles is limited, making it important to make way for these aspects during transportation. Lastly, you must consider the reactivity of GGBS with water, which makes you look for solutions that are airtight and moisture-proof. The granulated blast furnace slag suppliers should be aware of these factors to create the best solution for storage and transportation.

·         There are a few best practices to consider when planning the storage of these materials. You should ensure that the product stays free of contamination, moisture and degradation. Using these practices, you can design a storage facility that maximizes the quality of the GGBS.

o   The first thing you must do is design the storage facility in silos or as a closed storage area. This way you can shield the products from the extreme weather conditions, such as rain, wind and temperature fluctuations. This will also prevent external contamination of the products. You must consider the ground granulated blast furnace slag price for this purpose.

o   The next step in designing the facility would be to create airtight silos to contain the moisture. You can avoid storing them in semi-open containers. Make sure to have consistent temperatures in the storage facility to prevent condensation.

o   You can also consider bulk storage in silo corrosion-resistant materials like stainless steel. You can also use aeration equipment to avoid the compaction and free flow of materials. Lastly, you must use dehumidifiers and desiccants to control humidity.

o   It is also a great idea to use bagged storage if you want to handle smaller quantities of the slag. You can use moisture-proof bags made of polyethylene materials to protect the product against humidity. You can also use store bags on pallets, which can eliminate the water seepage. You can also reduce overstacking to prevent tearing or crushing of bags.

·         You should also consider the handling practices to minimize the material loss and contamination.

o   Use sealed conveyors to transfer the GGBS while avoiding the material spillage and exposure

o   Make sure to use dust extraction systems at the different transfer points to eliminate the airborne particles and ensure material conservation.

Make sure to choose right granulated blast furnace slag suppliers for the right conservation and transfer of your products.