In some countries a substantial amount of research has been dedicated to baghouse fines, considering them as potential material for use in mixtures. Their use has an economical aspect since the high efficiency of dust collectors in up-to-date asphalt plants collects considerable amounts of dust that are then available for use essentially free of charge. Using some of the dust from dust removal is an everyday practice in many countries. It has been applied to SMA, along with other types of fillers.
The results of studies on the practicality of using baghouse fines are quite divergent. One might conclude that the appropriateness of their use cannot be generalized. Properties of extracted dusts may differ widely, depending on their origin (i. e., source rock type). It is common knowledge that large amounts of collected dust added to mixtures may substantially stiffen them, making them susceptible to cracking and water damage, and asphalt mixes that contain them are not easy to place and compact. Despite that, baghouse fines can be a very good filler (Asphalt Review, December 2004).
Finally it is worth noting one more application aspect of collected baghouse dust. If we want to use baghouse fines as filler, they have to satisfy the standard requirements for fillers, including those concerning the repeatability and uniformity of obtained results. Frequent changes of aggregate types (i. e., rock types) may result in fluctuations in the mineralogical composition of the collected dust and its properties.
The European standard EN 13043 accepts baghouse fines as filler aggregate if they meet the standard requirements for fillers.
