Performance optimization and mechanism analysis of applied Enteromorpha-based composite dust suppressant

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Open-pit coal mining generates significant environmental pollution from fugitive coal dust.
• Existing dust suppression methods often face challenges with effectiveness, cost, or environmental impact.
• There is a need for sustainable and efficient dust control solutions in mining operations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and optimize a novel composite dust suppressant using Enteromorpha for coal dust control.
• To investigate the preparation factors and properties of the Enteromorpha-based dust suppressant.
• To elucidate the dust suppression mechanism and assess its large-scale field applicability and economic viability.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of a composite dust suppressant from Enteromorpha, optimizing factors like water-soluble polymer, temperature, solid content, and surfactant.
• Characterization of the suppressant's properties, including viscosity and surface tension.
• Evaluation of dust suppression performance under simulated wind erosion and rain, and assessment of water retention capabilities. Field experiments were conducted.

Main Results:

• The optimized polyacrylamide (PAM) Enteromorpha-based dust suppressant exhibited excellent performance with a viscosity of 25.1 mPa·s and surface tension of 27.05 mN/m.
• This PAM-Enteromorpha suppressant demonstrated superior dust control, with only 2.94% mass loss under 10 m/s wind speed and 4.6% coal dust loss after rain erosion.
• The suppressant showed strong water retention, effective dust wetting, and packaging, with field trials confirming significant coal dust inhibition and achieving 89-94% dust suppression efficiency at 30% material cost savings.

Conclusions:

• The developed Enteromorpha-based dust suppressant, particularly the PAM formulation, is highly effective and stable for controlling coal dust escape in open-pit mines.
• The graft copolymerization of PAM and Enteromorpha creates a network structure that enhances dust suppression through mechanical entanglement and adhesion.
• This eco-friendly and cost-effective Enteromorpha-based solution offers a sustainable alternative for reducing material costs and environmental pollution in mining operations.