Research on chlorine salt antifreeze road dust suppressants for open-pit coal mines

Abstract

In addressing the significant challenge of trucking road dust emanating from open-cast coal mines, the prevalent method of conventional water sprinkling for dust removal on transport roads has proven suboptimal. This inadequacy is attributed to the pronounced mobility of truck transport roads, substantial dust loads, and extensive open dust sources. Particularly in cold mining regions, the use of water in winter exacerbates the issue by causing icy road surfaces, thereby increasing the risk of truck skidding and overturning, posing a severe hazard to both mine safety and the well-being of truck drivers. A pragmatic imperative exists to devise a solution that effectively addresses both anti-freezing and dust suppression in open-pit coal mine roads, while minimizing corrosive impact. Against the backdrop of Hebei Open-pit Coal Mine in Huolin, Inner Mongolia, this study focuses on the development of a chloride salt antifreeze-type road dust inhibitor tailored for open-pit transportation roads. The proprietary anti-freezing dust suppressant achieves a freezing point as low as −36.4 °C, exhibiting corrosion efficiency merely at 56.5% of that of water. Notably, the effective dust suppression duration surpasses that of water by a factor of 150, resulting in a 53% reduction in dust suppression costs. This innovation is specifically applicable to high-cold and arid surface coal mines in northern regions and similar mining contexts. It offers technical support for the establishment of environmentally sustainable practices in surface coal mines, representing a pivotal step toward the realization of green mining initiatives.