April 2001

Yellow Grease to the Dust Rescue

By Tina Caparella

Dusty roads are not only a nuisance, but they can be damaging to vehicles, property, and human health. One company is helping to combat that problem with a new dust control technology and is using yellow grease in the process.

The end product is called B-Gel and in the proper concentration, offers road base stabilization and compaction on unsurfaced roads, keeping them free of dry-weather dust. According to BJW Enterprises, the developer of the technology, the formulation creates a firmly bonded road surface that has increased traction and skid resistance and is not affected by weather. Several renderers have already begun using the product and initial reactions are positive, including one who told Render he believes there is a “huge opportunity” for this new yellow grease product.

One aspect that makes B-Gel a better solution over other dust control products is the longevity of its effectiveness.

“There are a jillion dust control products on the market,” said Boyd Wathen, BJW Enterprises. “Many of them are effective for a short period of time.” He stated that one application of B-Gel lasts, on the average, about a year. Other benefits of the product are that no special road preparation is necessary and use of the road can be resumed in only a few hours after application, or even faster, 15-20 minutes, if a roller is used immediately after application.

What is B-Gel?
BJW Enterprises has spent three years of research and test application to prove the product works. In his 30 years of experience in the explosives industry where dust was always a problem, Wathen tried a number of products, eventually discovering the best method to control dust was by using used vegetable oils. With the assistance of several chemical engineers, he developed a technology that involves the blending of an emulsifying agent and water, which is allowed to thicken. Then approximately 20 percent yellow grease is blended, resulting in a density of eight pounds per gallon. Since B-Gel is comprised of environmentally friendly products, there are no worries about ground contamination.

B-Gel is used in various concentrations, depending on desired results. Table 1 explains the application rate. Once applied, the product will progress approximately ¾-inch into the road’s surface, creating a bonding effect. Donald Stromquist, one of the chemical engineers who assisted Wathen with the development, said B-Gel has shown a characteristic of some cementation. And the more compaction there is on the road, which can result from more usage, the better the bonding effect.

While one may think that B-Gel would only be beneficial in desert areas, Wathen explained that the product is usable in all parts of the country, not only for dust control but also for soil erosion. Once the product is applied and is absorbed in the soil, he said it becomes impervious to water, helping to maintain a road from erosion, which includes potholes. Two renderers are currently or have used the product and four other companies are testing its effectiveness.

Simplicity
Not only are renderers using a commodity to manufacture B-Gel, but the application of the dust control product on road surfaces appears to be a service renderers can easily provide. B-Gel is applied using a standard road oil application, allowing existing trucks to be easily reconfigured. Wathen believes that with an estimated 250 to 350 million gallons of dust control products used each year, there is a large market for B-Gel.

Along with the simplicity of applying B-Gel, Wathen said renderers could profit from manufacturing the product and then either selling B-Gel to road application companies or providing the service themselves. Wathen explained that the only additional equipment renderers will need to produce B-Gel is a 6,000 to 7,000 gallon tank to blend the yellow grease and emulsified product. Currently, he estimated the market for B-Gel is paying between 80 cents and $1.25 per gallon, after a cost of only 21 cents to produce.

BJW Enterprises has applied for a patent for the composition and method of B-Gel and renderers can either purchase the license for the technology or work as a joint venture with BJW Enterprises. Once the renderer blends the yellow grease and emulsifiers, they can either sell the end product to road applicators or provide the service of dust control application themselves.

“This is a product that’s essential to the industry,” stated Wathen.