Preparation and characterization of a binary‐graft‐based, water‐absorbing dust suppressant for coal transportation

Abstract

ABSTRACTDuring coal transportation, a large amount of coal dust is generated; this not only leads to a massive loss of coal but also causes severe environmental pollution. In this research, we used a chemical modification approach to prepare a highly water‐absorbing dust suppressant. Corn starch, as the main ingredient, was copolymerized with acrylic acid and acrylamide, and acrylic acid and acrylamide were used to form a starch graft copolymer. Subsequently, in this research, we designed a suite of single‐factor experiments using the viscosity as the metric to determine the optimal reaction conditions, which were as follows: mass ratio of acrylic acid to acrylamide = 3:2, neutrality = 50%, reaction time = 3 h, and reaction temperature = 50 °C. Tests were carried out to assess the viscosity, water retention, and anti‐evaporation performance of the dust suppressant. The results indicate that when the dust‐suppressant concentration was 6%, the performance was optimized. Also, the anti‐evaporation behavior of the suppressant improved with the dust‐suppressant concentration. The use of this dust suppressant during coal transportation could greatly reduce dust dispersion and lead to improved environmental protection. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47065.