Development of Environmental Friendly Dust Suppressant Based on the Modification of Soybean Protein Isolate

Study on preparation and properties of antifreeze compound road dust suppressant

Open-pit mine pavement dust dries and breaks easily. As such, a composite pavement dust suppressant with good wettability, moisturizing, coagulation, and antifreezing properties in winter was investigated. Monomer screening and orthogonal experiments were conducted, using evaporation rate, permeability rate, viscosity, and freezing point as evaluation indexes. Consequently, a dust suppressant solution is a mixture of glycerol (GLY), sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS), polyacrylamide (PAM), compound propylene glycol (PG), and potassium acetate (PA). The characteristics of the dust suppressant and its interaction mechanism with road dust were measured and analyzed. The results showed that the optimal ratio of the antifreeze-type composite dust suppressant is 3%GLY, 0.30%SDBS, 0.07% PAM, and 50%PG + 10%PA; the contact angle is 27.62°, which can effectively wet coal dust. Moreover, it easily forms hydrogen bonds with water molecules to release free -OH, which increases the oxygen-containing functional groups in the dust. The maximum viscosity is 25.4 mPa·s, and the hydrophobic groups adsorbed on the surface of the dust can condense and agglomerate the dust to form large particles, and effectively inhibit the occurrence of dust. It freezes at - 34.2 ℃, resists a temperature of - 30 ℃ without freezing, and improves dust suppression efficiency and antifreezing effect in cold areas.

Distribution and transport of contaminants in soil through mining processes and its environmental impact and health hazard assessment: A review of the prospective solutions

Environmental regulations were concerned with support in reaction to the enormous ecological harm caused by mining in the past. Because mining, dumping, and tailings can generate waste and radioactive consequences, society must develop methods for successfully treating mining waste from mine dumps, tailings, and abandoned mines. Strict policies associated with environmental regulations to avoid the possible dangers caused by garbage and radioactivity. Several characteristics, including background contamination from natural sources related to mineral deposits, contamination from industrial activities in three-dimensional subsurface space, a problem with long-term remediation following mine closure, a problem with secondary contaminated areas near mine sites, land use conflicts, and abandoned mines, distinguish it. Reusing and recycling mine waste occasionally results in cost-effective advantages in the mining sector by offsetting natural resource requirements and reducing the volume of garbage materials. These benefits stem from recycling and reusing mining waste, which can lower the amount of garbage that must be managed. This review focuses on realistic strategies for anticipating mining exploration control and attempts to examine those methods in-depth. Management strategies for limiting the environmental impact of mining dumps, stockpiles, and tailings were discussed. The environmental assessment was also mentioned to carry out specific control and take preventive actions.

Optimization via response surface methodology of the synthesis of a dust suppressant and its performance characterization for use in open cut coal mines

To relieve dust pollution in open cut coal mines and reduce the hazards of coal dust pollution to the environment and workers we optimized the synthesis of a dust suppressant by graft copolymerization of environmentally friendly soy protein isolate with methyl methacrylate. This dust suppressant could effectively control dust pollution in open cut coal mines. The optimized conditions for graft copolymerization in this case were determined by a response surface experiment designed with Design-Expert 10 software. Characterization by scanning electron microscopy showed a significant morphology change of the dust suppressant and the generation of a rigid and dense layer on its surface after interacting with coal dust. The layer exhibited good bonding and dust suppression performance. The analysis with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy revealed the appearance of new absorption peaks near 1300, 1072, and 1631 cm^-1, demonstrating effective graft copolymerization. The proposed dust suppressant exhibited excellent wind erosion resistance, with a resistance that exceeded 90% at a wind speed of 6.5 m/sec. The successful graft copolymerization and effective bonding and curing of the dust suppressant on coal dust were experimentally verified. This is of great significance to the control of coal dust pollution.

Morphology and Dust-Suppression Evaluation of Fugitive Dust Particles in Beijing

Fugitive dust particles are important contributors to urban ambient particulate matter (PM), while their emissions have been ignored or greatly underestimated in previous studies, leading to the underestimation of PM concentrations and health impacts. Thus, studying the morphology of fugitive dust, taking appropriate dust-suppression measures, and evaluating dust-suppression effects are crucial to the prevention and control of fugitive dust. In this study, we investigated the morphology and composition of dust particles from different dust sources, including bare land, stock dump, construction, and road dust. Afterwards, different dust-suppression measures including fence interception nets, bare ground mesh nets, and road dust-suppressants were undertaken to simulate and analyze their dust-suppression effects. Finally, the height concentration profiling method was used to comprehensively evaluate the on-site dust-suppression effect, which can not only accurately evaluate the dust-suppression effect, but also predict the dust-suppression ability in a wide range. Gaining insights into the morphology and composition of dust from representative sources is an important step forward to prevent and control fugitive dust, and selecting an appropriate dust-suppression effect evaluation method will provide a beneficial guide for effectively controlling PM pollution in the future.

Preparation and performance characterization of a new dust suppressant with a cross-linked network structure for use in open-pit coal mines

In an effort to control dust pollution in open-air environments such as pit coal mines and coal transportation systems, a new dust suppressant with a cross-linked network structure was prepared. Graft copolymerization of soy protein isolate (SPI) and methacrylic acid (MAA), using potassium persulfate (KPS) as the initiator and hexametaphosphoric acid (SHMP) as the cross-linking agent, formed the network structure. The optimal MAA/SPI mass ratio for the dust suppressant was determined through a single-factor experiment to be 3:4, with 0.8 and 0.2 g of SHMP and KPS, respectively. The grafting reaction required 30 min at 60 °C. Scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry were used to characterize the structure and application performance of the dust suppressant. The experimental results showed that the graft copolymerization reaction successfully formed the desired cross-linked network, and that when the cross-linked network material was sprayed on coal dust, it formed a dense, solidified shell, which effectively resisted wind erosion and served as a dust suppressant. The average reduction of the total suspended particulate matter of an open-air coal pile reached 79.95%, demonstrating effective dust suppression.

Formulation Development and Performance Characterization of Ecological Dust Suppressant for Road Surfaces in Cities

In order to solve the problem of road dust pollution, an ecological dust suppressant for road surfaces has been developed using monomer, orthogonal, and optimization experiments and based on the dust raising mechanism. A humectant, hygroscopic agent, coagulant and surfactant and their concentration ranges have been determined through monomer experiment. The preliminary formula of the dust suppressant has been obtained through orthogonal experiment, with the water loss rate, moisture content rate, viscosity value, and surface tension value serving as experimental indexes. The optimal formula for the dust suppressor has been calculated through an optimization experiment, with the toxicity, moisture absorption and retention performance of plants, and the relative damage rate of plant seeds serving as experimental indexes. Based on the performance characterization of ecological road dust suppressant, the ecologically and environmentally friendly dust suppressant demonstrates fine moisture absorption and retention performance, good wind and rain erosion resistance, and no toxicity. The ecological road dust suppressant developed herein covers extensive raw material sources. It is ecologically and environmentally friendly, fit for most urban roads, and has a fine dust suppression effect. Meanwhile, it also can bring in good economic and social benefits, demonstrating its broad application prospects.

Fugitive Dust Suppression in Unpaved Roads: State of the Art Research Review

Fugitive dust is a serious threat to unpaved road users from a safety and health point of view. Dust suppressing materials or dust suppressants are often employed to lower the fugitive dust. Currently, many dust suppressants are commercially available and are being developed for various applications. The performance of these dust suppressants depends on their physical and chemical properties, application frequency and rates, soil type, wind speed, atmospheric conditions, etc. This article presents a comprehensive review of various available and in-development dust suppression materials and their dust suppression mechanisms. Specifically, the dust suppressants that lower the fugitive dust either through hygroscopicity (ability to absorb atmospheric moisture) and/or agglomeration (ability to cement the dust particles) are reviewed. The literature findings, recommendations, and limitations pertaining to dust suppression on unpaved roads are discussed at the end of the review.

Preparation and Characterization of a Composite Dust Suppressant for Coal Mines

In an effort to effectively control coal dust pollution and thereby reduce the harm of coal dust to human health, we prepared a highly efficient composite dust suppressant. First, dynamic contact angle and zeta potential measurements were used to select sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS) over sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and trisodium methyl silicon as the complementary additive to soy protein isolate for the dust suppressant. We employed viscosity and wind erosion resistance tests to compare the performance of the composite dust suppressant with three common, commercially available suppressants. As the concentration of the composite dust suppressant was increased, the viscosity increased, reaching a maximum value of 22.7 mPa·s at a concentration of 5 wt%. The 5 wt% concentration of the composite dust suppressant provided the lowest wind erosion rate (20.62%) at a wind speed of 12 m/s. The composite dust suppressant also had good bonding performance and wind erosion resistance. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis were used to characterize the properties of the dust suppressants. The dust suppressant, which had a crystal-like structure, could easily capture coal dust and form an effective package. In addition, the density of the dust suppressant film increased as its crystallinity increased. The increased density was beneficial in that it enabled the dust suppressant to form a hard, solidified shell on the surface of coal dust, which improved dust suppression. The composite dust suppressant also had good thermal stability.

Effect of spraying on coal dust diffusion in a coal mine based on a numerical simulation

Aimed at effectively controlling coal dust pollution in the mining face of a coal mine, this study first conducted a theoretical analysis and then combined a spraying experiment and a numerical simulation to perform an in-depth examination of the atomizing characteristics and dust suppression performance of a coal cutter external spraying device. Based on the experimental spraying results, the optimal nozzle was determined to be a pressure round-mouth nozzle with an X-shaped core. The characteristics of the spray fields from nozzles of different calibers (1.6, 2.0 and 2.4 mm) at different spraying pressures (2, 4, 6 and 8 MPa) were then analyzed. It was found that the droplet concentration in the spray field increased with increasing spraying pressure and nozzle caliber. The droplet diameter was mainly dependent on the spraying pressure and varied more slowly with increased spraying pressure. At a spraying pressure of 8 MPa, the spray field formed could achieve effective dust suppression; specifically, the droplet concentration in the spray field was mostly more than 15 g/m³, and the droplet size was mainly distributed in the range of 30-100 μm. When using a 2.4 mm caliber nozzle, the dust concentration measured around the coal cutter operator was reduced to 87.21 mg/m³ under a spraying pressure of 8 MPa, suggesting adequate dust suppression.

Special Issue “Renewable Polymers: Processing and Chemical Modifications”

The use of renewable resources for polymer production is receiving substantial and ever-growing interest [...]

Experimental Research on Heat Transfer and Strength Analysis of Backfill with Ice Grains in Deep Mines

In deep mines, two urgent problems are a high temperature thermal environment and solid waste. Filling the goaf with slurry mixed with ice grains is an effective way to solve these two problems simultaneously. The thermal property and mechanical property of the ice-added backfill have a great influence on the cooling effect in the deep mine. In this study, an experimental facility for measuring the temperature distribution of ice-added backfill slurry was established, and the temperature of backfill slurry with different proportions was measured. Then, the thermal properties of temperature distribution and cooling capacity and the mechanical property of uniaxial compressive strength of the backfill specimens were analyzed, and the results indicated the following: firstly, the cooling capacity of ice-added backfill specimens is negatively related with the slurry concentration C and is positively related with the ice-water ratio Ω; secondly, the strength of backfill specimens is affected by the slurry concentration C and ice-water ratio Ω by a contrary law compared to the cooling capacity; thirdly, ice-added backfill slurry with an ice-water ratio Ω of 1:1 has the best mechanical property after solidification. The effects of the slurry concentration and ice-water ratio on the thermal and mechanical properties were analyzed, and the results indicated that the optimum proportion of ice-added backfill slurry is a slurry concentration of 74% and an ice-water ratio of 1:1 in the present research range. This study is significant for the deep mine cooling method with ice-added backfill.