DOLVAP, s.r.o.

Dolvap, s.r.o. (former Třinecké železárny, závod Lom a vápenka Varín) ranks among the largest lime works in Slovakia. Since its establishment it has been an important partner for the largest metallurgical plants in the Czech Republic.

The basic assortment comprises of lime, limestone and dolomite products destined for metallurgical and glass industry, building industry and other sectors.

History overview

The works „Lom a vápenka Varín“ /lime quarry and lime plant/ was established in 1925 and the main reason for this was the necessity of limestone and lime in the metallurgical complex in Třinec, which was looking for new sources for covering the increased demand of raw materials at production of pig iron and steel.

At the beginning of the works formation the workers mined under any weather conditions and they had no protective means at their disposal. Quarrying the limestone was carried out on steeply sloped walls on rope using hand-held drilling equipment. At the beginning, loading and unloading the furnaces was done manually. The first limestone was transported to the railway by means of ropeway Bleichert, which was mounted on wooden supports.

geological prospecting of the locality and construction of the technological equipment of the quarry and lime plant

1923-1925

establishment of the works Lom a vápenka Varín

1925

the first furnaces of the type Dannenberg for lime firing

1926

....

1929, 1939

new furnace of type Müller built-up

1952, 1954

construction of inclined adits between k. 991 – 702

1959

re-orientation to bench blasting (before coyote-hole blasting)

1969

purchase of drilling rigs of type Hausherr

1971

ropeways Transport (before Bleichert and Pohlig) replaced by a cable belt conveyer

1976 - 1981

investment development action „Enlargement and re-construction of the quarry Polom“

1983 – 1987

investment development action „Processing the waste limestones “, exposure of the quarry Kosová for dolomites and the lime works modernization

1985 – 1988

foundation of the new legal entity, the company DOLVAP, s.r.o., as a successional organization of the works Lom a vápenka Varín.

11.11.1993

construction of new gas furnaces ot type Maerz

2005

Dolvap, s.r.o. – Present

The company was founded on November 11, 1993 and it is incorporated in the Commercial Registry of the District Court in Žilina, file No.: 1485/L, Company Identification No.: 31594786, Tax Registration No.: 2020445911, VAT identification number SK 2020445911.

Dolvap s.r.o. is situated in the Middle Slovakia in the District of Žilina, 13 kilometres from Žilina towards Terchová – Vrátna and it ranks among the largest lime works in Slovakia.

Since its origins, the company Dolvap s.r.o., (former Třinecké železárny, závod Lom a vápenka Varín) has been a significant partner of the largest metallurgical works in the Czech Republic.

The basic assortment comprises lime, limestone and dolomite products intended for use in metallurgical, glass and building industries and in other sectors as well.

The milestone in the recent company history is construction of new gas furnaces of type Maerz, designed for burning of lime, and their putting into operation in July 2005. It means improving and stabilization of lime and dry hydrate quality and this enables the company to produce both hard and soft burnt limes which enlarges number of customers.

With reference to constantly strengthening environmental legislation it also comes to the needs of considerable investments in the environmental sphere.

Use of lime

History of lime use
The earliest documented use of lime as a construction material was approximately 4000 BC when it was used by Egyptians who used lime plasters for constructing the pyramids. Findings from the Eastern Turkey indicates that the beginning of lime use in mortars were as early as 14 000 years ago. However, extensive use of lime mortars, practically at the industrial level, was established only later in the Roman Empire. Vitruvius, a Roman architect, provided the first known „guidelines“ for lime mortar mixes.

Mortars containing only lime and sand required carbon dioxide from the air for hardening and carbonizing and to be converted actually back to limestone. This lime property makes that it is CO2 neutral as the same quantity of technological CO2 which is released during lime burning is bound again at hardening.

Since the mortars containing only lime cannot carbonize in contact with water, the Romans created a mix of lime, sand and volcanic puzzolan and in this way the first hydraulic mortars were formed. They were used for construction of water reservoirs or the famous first water lines, so-called aqueducts.

Durability of lime mortars has been also proven by the Great Wall of China, which is a 2000-year old witness and the reasons for use of this construction material remained up to the present time.

However, the environmental lime significance was discovered only in the recent history when the general public became aware of the needs of goal-directed living environment protection. It can be said that lime is a material coming from nature; it is very useful to save pure nature and is going back to the nature. At the present time more than 20% of burnt lime is used for the purposes of living environment protection.

Lime is a construction material which has from the point of view of principles for sustainable development a great future.

Properties

• It is made of raw materials which are practically in sufficiency all over our planet (huge limestone resources); it means that raw materials are transported to lime plants from minimum distances.
• The production is practically wasteless. Limestone is delivered to the lime plant and finished lime or lime hydrate is despatched. The only “waste” is CO2 which is formed during production and during fuel combustion as well. But lime features with the property that during hardening – carbonizing it must absorb CO2 from the surrounding air and so CO2 which was released at burning process is bound again during carbonizing.
• It can be said about lime that from the point of view of living environment protection it is a cure-all. Use of lime in many spheres is based on its following properties:
  • Purifying lime properties
  • Alkaline nature – it serves to neutralization of acidic medium – treatment of soil pH
  • Creation of compound insoluble in water – creation of compounds insoluble in majority of chemical substances
  • Hygroscopic – sludge stabilization through water absorbing from various kinds of sludge
  • Hygienic properties – it liquidates bacteria, therefore it is suitable for water purification
  • Carbonizing and decarbonising property – suitable for regulation of water hardness
  • Sulphur binding – flue gas desulphurization in thermal power stations at creation of energogypsum usable in cement production

References

Lime
Our lime belongs to the category of dolomitic limes. We perform supplies mainly for:

• metallurgical plants (stone and ground lime): lime is used as a slag-making addition agent and for desulphurization in the process of steel production. At use of dolomitic lime it comes to increasing the service life of converter walling in metallurgical industry. An increased content of MgO in the slag reduces walling wear. At the present we deliver to metallurgical plants in Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland.
• porous concretes: reaction with (CaOH)2 results in hydrogen release which mellows the matter and enables creation of small porouses. At the present delivered to: Poland, Slovakia, and Czech Republic.
• building industry: (hydrate, unslaked lime) – for preparation of mortars, for plaster work and masonry, for production of mixed plasters. At the present delivered to the Slovak, Polish, Ukrainian, Czech and Hungarian markets.
• soil stabilization: soils get permanent cohesiveness, mechanical strength and increased resistance to water effect. The largest supplies for soil stabilization also include stabilization of surfaces under the car factory Hyundai Nošovice in the Czech Republic.

Dolomites
Dolomites are utilized in:

• metallurgical industry: they form a slag-making addition agent in production of pig iron. At the present delivered to metallurgical factories in the Czech Republic.
• glass industry: glass-making dolomite forms the basic component of glass batch. Presence of MgCO3 facilitates fusibility. At the present delivered to glass factories in Poland and Czech Republic.
• building industry: as a material for embankments. At the present delivered in the Slovak, Czech and Polish markets.

Dolomitic limestone
Dolomitic limestone is utilized in:

• metallurgical industry: they form a slag-making addition agent in production of pig iron. At the present delivered to metallurgical factories in the Czech Republic.
• building industry: At the present delivered in the Slovak market.
• mining industry: At the present delivered to mines in the Czech Republic.
• agricultural industry (ground limestone): At the present delivered in the Slovak market.

Aggregates of various fractions
Use in

• construction of speedways, roads; backfills and area finishing
  At the present delivered in the Slovak market and Polish market.
• asphalt and concrete manufacturing
  At the present delivered in the Slovak market and Polish market.

Plaster-base mixtures
Use in

• building industry
  At the present delivered in the Slovak market.

Quality Policy in the company DOLVAP, s. r. o.

The aim of our company is to provide our customers with good quality services in the field of processing of dolomitic limestone, dolomite and articles thereof.

Wishes of our customers are a driving force for everything what we do.

Every employee must have clarity in the company policy, work procedures and instructions belonging to his/her area of responsibility. Every employee must have his/her quality objectives which he/she achieves or surpasses.

We believe that such a company will be prosperous which provides customers with the best quality service.

In order that our company can be the best one, every employee must make his/her job with high quality directly at the first time.

We cannot afford any “luxury of imperfections”. Initiative, quality and responsibility – it is our work rule.

We cannot afford any customer’s disappointment. If we are the best, it means that our people are also in their professions the best.

It means that every employee must know his/her customers, their expectations and requirements.

As soon as every employee provides the best, our company will become the best one in the competitive fight and not only in the domestic market but even in the foreign markets.

Certificates

ISO Certificates

• EN ISO 9001:2015 to 5.8.2024 (PDF)

ES Certificate of factory production control

• Buliding lime (PDF)

Job offers:

We are hiring. Contact our human resources department to find about available positions here: personal@dolvap.sk

Contact information

Map:

Dolvap, prevádzka Varín N 49°11’54.402″, E 18°51’0.12″

Dolvap, prevádzka Stráňavy, lom Polom N 49°9’50.491″, E 18°49’35.611″

Dolvap, prevádzka Stráňavy, lom Kosová N 49°10’22.654″, E 18°50’5.958″