Veyance conveyor compound wins mine safety certificate

ERJ staff report (DS)

Marysville, Ohio -- Veyance Technologies said its Goodyear-brand underground conveyor belts have passed the US-based Mine Safety and Health Administration's latest standards, helping to ensure flame resistance and virtually eliminating materials that generate toxic smoke.

The Shield rubber conveyor belt compound made by Goodyear Engineered Products became the first to receive MSHA's Belt Evaluation Laboratory Test or B.E.L.T. certification on May 11 by exceeding standards of flame resistance and reducing the ability of flames to propagate or spread (cert.# 14-CBA090001-MSHA).

According to Dave Tersigni, conveyor belt marketing manager for Veyance Technologies, Shield is currently the only compound on the market certified to 30 CFR Part 14 standards, which will be mandatory for all underground belts installed after Dec. 31, 2009.

The company said, "Unlike neoprene belts currently on the market, Shield virtually eliminates the use of halogenated materials like chlorine and bromine that can generate thick, toxic smoke. Veyance engineers were also able to maintain the same abrasion resistance and other performance characteristics of conventional rubber compounds.

"We've invested $1.2 million in test devices to validate SHIELD's performance, including sophisticated equipment to measure smoke density and toxicity," Tersigni said, "and we've conducted year-long field performance trials at active mines in a wide range of operating conditions."

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Press release from Veyance