We're developing a spray system that sprays a coating of product on the piles of contaminated dirt in tipper trucks. It binds the surface into a solid crust to stop the dust from blowing around and spreading arsenic and cyanide compounds around the country.
The first pump system to keep the product stirred was a failure; the pump clogged up after 5 minutes. The impeller looked like it had been pumping hag-fish. Steve says this product is the most disgusting thing he has ever had to handle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_turbine
That part works brilliantly. The problem is that the raw chmical is in an IBC and needs to be stirred periodically.
Course chloride RUSTS stuff, but.
Back in the 60s the mine used cynaide and dumped the toxic talings in a huge pit. Surveys in 2000 showed the pit was sitting on top of the main ore body. So the company built the new processing plant near the ore, truck the ore from the old mine to the new plant, fill the empty road train with the cynide/arsenic contaminated material, and truck it back to the old mine for back-fill disposal. The product binds the surface to stop the cynide and arsenic from blowing around the country. It's a non-toxic, water soluable and bio-degradable (eventually) polymer.
Still, if the product does what it's intended to do, I suppose you've gotta create the system to put it where it's meant to go. Though I'd hate to think of what the stuff is like if it fouled a screw-pump...