SNF provides solutions for underground projects, from soil to slurry mud conditioning, transportation, and waste management. Our products ensure that tunneling operations run at peak efficiency while minimizing waste.
Subcontractors specializing in tunnel boring machines use specific soil conditioners and drilling fluids to conduct their projects. The success of excavation at optimal costs depends on the properties of the foam or bentonite components to achieve targets such as:
- Advance Rates
- Cutterhead Lubrication and Torque Reduction
- Reducing Cutterhead Wear
- Carrying Cuttings from the Cutterhead to the Surface
- Ensuring the Stability of the Advancing Face
- Preventing Water Ingress
- Avoiding Fluid Loss to the Ground
- Facilitating Spoils Disposal or Drill Mud Treatment
In TBM projects with mud (Mix Shield or Variable Density) or foam (Earth Pressure Balanced Shield), there is a growing demand for innovative additives to improve productivity while reducing environmental impact. SNF is at the forefront of innovation by offering cost-effective products that meet the most advanced requirements.
SNF Products for Tunneling and Drilling
Dispersants and Thinners
| Product Category | Description |
|---|---|
| FLOSPERSE™ CT | Products used for drilling mud viscosity reduction, shelf-life extension, and mud circulation improvement. |
Dust Control Products
| Product Category | Description |
|---|---|
| FLOSET™ CE | Full range of liquid solutions used in open shield, for dust control on conveyors, and when excavation takes place in very hard ground. |
Lubricants
| Product Category | Description |
|---|---|
| FLOSET™ CE | Premium liquids used in horizontally directed drilling as friction reducers between pipes and ground. |
Mud Treatment
| Product Category | Description |
|---|---|
| FLOSET™ CE | A wide range of coagulants and flocculants for drilling mud treatment with a filter press or centrifuge. |
Plugging Agents
| Product Category | Description |
|---|---|
| FLOSET™ / FLOSORB™ CE | Ready to use water-absorbent, and water-swellable liquids designed to prevent fluid loss or water infiltration. |
Thickeners and Conditioners
| Product Category | Description |
|---|---|
| FLOSPERSE™ CT | Low molecular weight polymers are used as shale inhibitors, clay inhibitors, and for solid particle dispersion. |
| FLOSET™ CE | Premium liquids designed for EPB foam conditioning, front excavation confinement, and mud transportation. |