Limestone Storage : Types, Safety Measures to avoid hazards

Limestone is an odourless white, greyish-white or tan material that ranges from pebble to a granular powder. In cement plant, limestone is used as one of the major component for clinker or cement formation. Limestone may also be used in the manufacture of bricks, mortar, cement, concrete, plasters, paving materials, and other construction materials.

Limestone Storage Types

Storage of Limestone can be done in two ways :

·        Open limestone storage

·        Covered limestone storage

Traditionally, most of the limestone stockpiles in the Cement plant were open type. But with the passage of time, various problems have experienced with open stockpile system and potential need for covered gypsum storage system is felt. The benefits of the covered limestone storage as compared to open limestone storage are as follows:

·        Minimum dust emission in the stockpile

·        No air pollution

·        Elimination of rainfall and moisture problem

·        Elimination of caking problem in stockpiles

Stocking of limestone in covered Limestone storage system not only minimizes the above various problems, but also improves plant efficiency and maintains quality of limestone.

Safety Measures to avoid hazards in limestone storage

 In order to get protection from perils of limestone storage, the safety measures should be taken to increase or ensure safety. The safety recommendations associated with limestone storage and its handling are as follows:

·        Inhaling dust may cause discomfort in breathing. Prolonged inhalation may cause chronic health effects. There should be no scope for dust to accumulate inside the limestone storage shed. Otherwise, dust removal systems should be provided for all surfaces where dust may accumulate.

·        The limestone stockpiles should be kept away from moisture and rainfall , so that there may be no chance of degradation in the quality of limestone.

·        Full or partial solidification of bulk solids like (cement, limestone) by virtue of adsorption, crystallisation, adsorption after a long storage time, called as Caking. Limestone Storage piles should be monitored at regular intervals to prevent this caking problem.

·        Limestone is not considered to be an explosive hazard, although reaction with incompatible materials, such as acids, may rupture the containers or storage tanks in which they are stored.

·        There should be automation in turning all electrical circuits on/off without the need for personnel to enter dust-emitting locations.

·        In order to reduce the chances of medical illness in labour, the management should emphasise that medically unfit labour be kept away from the exposure of limestone, since this may aggravate their medical condition.

‘Storage solution for limestone’ engineered by Hindustan Alcox Limited is the best choice to cover stockpile for the most challenging environment. We, at Hindustan Alcox Limited built Limestone storage sheds with long span steel structure having span of up to 150 m & height of up to 40 m. As an alternate to barrel vault structure, Limestone dome also provides an opportunity to achieve good plant efficiency by maximum space utilization and hasty operational works.

-          Hindustan Alcox Limited, New Delhi.