A conveyor belt is an essential part of any mining or quarrying operation. Having a belt rip or tear can have severe negative consequences to a company’s efficiency in production, especially when a small rip or tear turns into a large one, if not properly maintained or repaired.
Although a full replacement of the belt would be ideal, it is not always the best solution from a financial and production stand-point. Being able to repair the belt in a timely and cost-efficient manner is often the better solution.
Knowing this, our customer came to us to develop a Polyurethane Repair Compound to repair rubber conveyor belts within the mining industry. This repair compound had to be used in the field to repair damaged belts, which may have gouges, tears, and general worn areas from the tough working conditions.
The Project
Our Polyurethane Technical Sales person and Research and Development team laid out all the requirements and were able to develop a compound with a 1:1 mix ratio, which can gel at room temperature within 3-4 minutes. This material provided excellent physical properties and modulus similar to the original rubber belt, which exceeded our customer’s need to have something that would be quick and effective in the field. Further, we developed this product knowing the bond strength to the rubber substrate would be extremely vital in ensuring the repair lasts.
This product greatly helps mining companies to repair damaged conveyor belts in very short period of time. It can be used to work on worn equipment and provide wear resistant coatings on new equipment.
In developing this material for our customer we wanted our solution to provide:
- Minimized downtime – fast repair to the conveyor belts (In the field gelling, within 3-4 minutes @ RT will allow you to handle tack-free, dry to touch. Full cure will take a few hours before usable)
- Savings on costs – maintain/repair rather than replace belts
How it works
The Product (RR-660) is a two Component room temperature curing polyurethane repair compound. Part A and B are packaged in dual disposable cartridges. Both parts are mixed and dispensed through a static mixer with a gun. This gun is operated either manually, electrically or pneumatically. When the component parts are mixed and dispensed through a static mix tube, a thixotropic paste is formed. The mixed material is then applied immediately to a variety of surfaces in thickness from 40 mils to 1000 mil (1 mm to 40mm). The thixotropic properties allow thick coatings to be applied to vertical surfaces or the underside of horizontal surfaces without slumping or falling off. The mixture can be worked quickly using trowels or other suitable tools.
Highlights of RR-660:
- Has excellent resistance to wet or dry abrasion and to impinging particles
- Great resistance to wet environments and moderate concentrations to mineral acids and alkalis
- It can be used in places of restricted accessibility
- •RR-660 is intended to be used at ambient temperatures
- It has a working life of 2-5 Minutes depending on ambient temperature
- 1:1 mix ration which cures at room temperature within 3-4 minutes
Application
The mixed material is applied by methods related to cement finishing and similar tools are recommended. Steel floats, spatulas, paint scrapers, pointed trowels, polyethylene templates and screeds are typical of the equipment required according to the type of work undertaken. Curved surfaces, both convex and concave may be coated by cutting appropriately shaped templates. Through this method, way worn components; metal, polyurethane or rubber, may be repaired and their original profile restored.
