Research on the Ecological Protection of Coal Gangue Slope Based on a Polymer Curing Agent

Jian Zhang,Yifang Liu,Weijia Yuan,Zifan Sui,Wen Yi,Baskaran Rangasamy

doi:10.1155/2021/8181688

Jian Zhang, Yifang Liu + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/8181688

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Abstract

To improve the ecological protection of coal gangue slopes, this work developed a polymer curing agent using a pure acrylic emulsion and cement as the main raw materials. By testing the workability, waterproofing, durability, and adhesion of the curing agent with different polymer-to-cement ratios, the optimum mixing ratio of the polymer curing agent was obtained, and the protection mechanism was analysed based on the test results and by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Then, simulated slope and practical engineering applications were carried out. The results show that pure acrylic emulsion curing agent with a polymer-to-cement ratio of 6 : 5 is most suitable for the ecological protection of coal gangue slopes. The polymer curing agent can form a network structure film layer with a good waterproofing effect on the coal gangue surface. Simultaneously, the network structure film layer can reduce the influence of weathering and leaching on the coal gangue, prevent the heavy metal elements in coal gangue from entering the surrounding soil, improve the growth environment of plants, and improve the effect of ecological restoration. This research can be applied to the ecological protection of coal gangue slopes.

Highlights

Coal gangue is solid waste discharged in the process of coal mining and washing
With the increase in slope, the scour became increasingly severe and even exposed the laid coal gangue. us, the plant seeds sprayed at the slope top of model box A were washed away by rain, the coal gangue disintegrated under the infiltration of rain, and the surface guest soil slid with the disintegrating coal gangue, which resulted in a low plant germination rate and poor slope protection effect
Taking the coal gangue slope at K68 + 720 of the Longlang Expressway in Loudi City, Hunan Province, as the application object of the new protection scheme and taking the K72 + 630 coal gangue slope with the ordinary ecological slope protection method as the control, we studied the feasibility of the new protection scheme by evaluating the ecological protection status for both slopes after construction

Summary

Introduction

Coal gangue is solid waste discharged in the process of coal mining and washing. It is a black, grey rock with a lower carbon content and harder structure than coal and is associated with the coal seam in the process of coal formation. Under the action of weathering and leaching, heavy metal elements in coal gangue enter the surrounding soil and water, degrade the ecological environment, and hinder plant growth and ecological restoration [4,5,6]. Due to the influence of the unfavourable properties of gangue, plants cannot grow normally on these slopes, and it is difficult to achieve the desired ideal slope protection effects using conventional ecological protection methods [7,8,9,10]

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