Experimental and simulation studies on the improvement of coal dust pollution by an aqueous solution of sodium α-alkenylsulfonate and amino acid-based surfactants.

The use of surfactants is crucial for the prevention and control of coal dust pollution in coal mining operation areas, yet there still exist many challenges in the control of coal dust pollution. In this paper, the green biomass-based amino acid surfactant sodium myristoyl glutamate (SMG) and the anionic surfactant sodium α-alkenyl sulfonate (AOS) were selected to investigate the improvement of coal dust wettability by single and binary solutions from the macroscopic and microscopic perspectives. Molecular simulations were used to reveal the microscopic mechanism of the wettability of coal dust by the different solutions. Experimental measurements showed that the contact angle of the AOS + SMG aqueous solution was as low as 13.8° on a coal surface. Coating the coal dust with the AOS + SMG solution reduced the surface tension by 12.02% compared to coating the coal with a single component solution. Additionally, the use of the binary AOS + SMG solution increased the hydrophilic group content in the coating by 11.77% compared to a single component solution, and the linkage between hydrophilic groups was enhanced, which pulls the water molecules to wet the coal dust. These research results should provide a new way to promote more environmentally friendly coal dust pollution control technology.

CFD-based simulation study of dust transport law and air age in tunnel under different ventilation methods.

To solve the problem of high-concentration dust pollution in a bored tunnel, we conducted a simulation study on the dust transport law and air age of the wind flow in a bored tunnel under different ventilation methods. Air age was innovatively introduced as an index for evaluating tunnel air quality. The results show that dust pollution is serious under conditions of press-in ventilation, which is unfavorable to personnel operations. Following the installation of an on-board dust-removal fan, an effective dust-control air curtain forms in the tunnel, and the high-concentration dust is essentially controlled within the range of Z = 13 m from the working face. The dust concentration in the working area on the left side of the tunnel is CD < 200 mg/m3, and the dust-control effect is obvious. At the same time, the air age on both sides of the tunnel is reduced by 35.5% following the use of the on-board dust-removal fan. Taking into account dust control by ventilation and dust removal by fan, spraying dust reduction measures are added, and we developed automated wind-mist synergistic wet high-frequency oscillation dust-capturing technology for tunnel boring. This could effectively improve the problem of high levels of coal dust pollution in tunnels.

Study on PM diffusion and distribution of trackless rubber-tyred vehicle under different driving conditions in underground coal mining environment.

Particulate matter (PM) is one of the most harmful exhaust pollutants to human health. In this study, the PM diffusion and distribution emitted by trackless rubber-tyred vehicle under different driving conditions in coal mine were analyzed with numerical simulations and field measurements. The results show that when the vehicle velocity was constant, the PM concentration of the trackless rubber-tyred vehicle decreased with increasing distance from the exhaust pipe orifice. In addition, the proportion of PM with a concentration below 10 mg/m3 was the highest owing to the influences of diffusion and airflow dilution. However, when the diffusion distance is less than 3 m, the PM concentration far exceeds the occupational exposure limit (10 mg/m3). In this case, underground personnel should stay away from the area near and along the exhaust pipe as far as possible. With increasing vehicle velocity, the PM concentration gradient at a diffusion distance of 0-6 m showed the most significant slope. Besides, the concentration fluctuation of PM was the largest and relatively high when the diffusion distance was 5-15 m. Therefore, the area 15 m from the exhaust gas pipe opening of the trackless rubber-tyred vehicle should be controlled. In addition, the relative errors between the measured and numerical simulation results were mostly less than 10%, which proved that the numerical simulation results were reliable.

Study on the effect of Ce-Cu doping on Mn/γ-Al2O3 catalyst for selective catalytic reduction in NO with NH3.

A series of Mn/γ-Al2O3, Mn-Cu/γ-Al2O3, Mn-Ce/γ-Al2O3 and Mn-Ce-Cu/γ-Al2O3 catalysts were prepared by equal volume impregnation. The denitrification effects of the different catalysts were studied by activity measurement, X-ray diffraction, Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller surface area tests, Scanning electron microscopy, H2-temperature programmed reduction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The experimental results show that Ce and Cu are added to a Mn/γ-Al2O3 catalyst as bimetallic additives, which weakens the interaction between Mn and the carrier, improves the dispersion of MnOx on the surface of the carrier, improves the specific surface area of the catalyst, and improves the reducibility. Mn-Ce-Cu/γ-Al2O3 catalyst reaches a maximum conversion of 92% at 202 °C. Also, the addition of the auxiliary metals promotes the reaction mechanism to a certain extent, and the addition of Ce especially promotes the conversion of NO-NO2, which is conducive to the production of intermediate products that promote the NH3-SCR reaction.

Study of wetting and adsorption mechanism of mixed anionic-nonionic nonhomologous surfactants on coal dust based on intermolecular interactions.

The research found that mixed anionic-nonionic surfactants have synergistic wetting performance which can be added to the spray solution to greatly enhance the wettability to coal dust. In this study, based on the experiment data and some synergism parameters, and a 1:5 ratio of fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether sulphate (AES)-lauryl glucoside (APG) has the best synergism, resulting in a highly wettable dust suppressant. Additionally, the wetting processes of different dust suppressant on coal were comparatively simulated by molecular dynamics. Then, the electrostatic potential on the molecular surface was computed. Following this, the mechanism of surfactant molecule regulation of coal hydrophilicity and the advantage of the interspersed arrangement of AES-APG molecules in the mixed solution were proposed. Also, based on the computation of highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) levels and binding energy calculations, a synergistic mechanism of the anionic-nonionic surfactant is proposed from the perspective of enhanced hydrogen bonding between the hydrophilic part of the surfactant and the water molecule. Overall, these results present a theoretical basis and development strategy for the preparation of highly wettable mixed anionic and nonionic dust suppressants for different coal types.

Development and characterization of a high efficiency bio-based rhamnolipid compound dust suppressant for coal dust pollution control.

Surfactants make a significant contribution to the suppression of coal dust fly in underground coal mines, but are hazardous to the environment and human health. It is therefore crucial to develop more environmentally friendly and efficient wetting agents using non-polluting eco-friendly surfactants. In this study, the wetting properties of the biosurfactant rhamnolipid were investigated and the rhamnolipid composite wetting agent (CS-A-S) was prepared by mixing design after preferring different surfactants by means of experiments and quantum mechanical simulations. The dust suppression properties were compared by means of infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and molecular dynamics simulation. The results showed that the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of rhamnolipid was 0.04 wt% and the surface tension was 25.9 mN/m, which had the basis to become an underground dust suppressant; the surface tension of CS-A-S was reduced to 23.95 mN/m and the contact angle to coal dust was 25°; after spraying CS-A-S, the median particle size of coal dust reached 125.76 µm, an increase of 849.13%; the specific surface area was reduced to 2.24 m2/g, a decrease of 51.06%; the oxygen-containing groups on the coal surface increased by 55.87-246.7%, making it easier to form hydrogen bonds, the coal dust became more hydrophilic, and coal dust particles easily agglomerated into larger sizes and settled rapidly under gravity; the CS-A-S simulated system showed the greatest degree of water molecule penetration, with a minimum of 71 Å, and a water molecule diffusion coefficient of 1.06 Å2/ps, a decrease of 75%, and the interaction energy with coal molecules is 155.6 kcal/mol, an increase of 66.9%, making it easier for the dust suppressant molecules to form adsorption on the coal surface, showing a better dust suppression effect.

Numerical study on temporal and spatial distribution of particulate matter under multi-vehicle working conditions.

The high growth in the use of underground diesel vehicles has led to a large number of exhaust pollutants, especially particulate matter (PM), which is a serious threat to the lives and health of underground personnel. In this paper, based on numerical simulations and field measurements, the temporal and spatial distribution of PM in the exhaust of two vehicles and the impact on the health of underground personnel was analyzed. The results showed that in both conditions, the airflow velocity between two vehicles showed a zonal distribution, and there was an airflow vortex in the chamber under the interaction of the wind. When the vehicles were running in the same direction into the wind, PM with a concentration range of 15.79-26.32 mg/m3 could reach the height of the human respiratory belt and was mainly distributed on the east side of the roadway. Therefore, underground personnel should avoid approaching the right area of the vehicle body. In addition, PM concentration around the driver position of the vehicle was still higher than the human contact limit, so the drivers of the vehicle would need personal protection. When the vehicles were running in the same direction with the wind, compared with the airflow inlet side, the amount of PM on the airflow outlet side increased more obviously with time, especially for PM with a concentration range of 21.05-31.58 mg/m3. Also, partial PM flowed into the chamber with the airflow, such that personnel should avoid being located on the downwind side of the vehicle, and personnel in the chamber should also have personal protection.

Carboxymethyl cellulose sodium gel: A modified material used to suppress coal dust pollution.

To reduce the environmental pollution caused by coal dust, a new type of dust inhibitor with a wide application range, high efficiency, and production simplicity was synthesized by modifying sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC-Na) with acrylamide (AM). Through molecular dynamics simulations and experiments, the surfactant composition and concentration were optimized. The experimental results showed that the graft copolymer of CMC-Na and AM (CMC-Na-co-AM) had more pores on the microscopic surface and a unique fiber network structure, which greatly increased its contact area with coal dust. After 14 h of drying at 60 °C, coal samples that were sprayed with the dust suppression agent retained >50% of the water in the spray, which was 9 times greater than the water retention of coal samples sprayed with just water. Additionally, the ability of the dust suppression agent to resist wind erosion was 6 times that of water. The CMC-Na-co-AM dust suppression agent showed that it could effectively inhibit the spread of coal dust under strong winds, offering a solution to the problem of coal dust pollution in coal production and storage.

Simulation study of the mechanism of mesoscopic adsorption and the evolution of molecular dynamics of a surfactant/polymer composite on the surface of low rank coal.

In this paper, the head group, tail group, and main chain of a single type of surfactant were constructed by a mesoscopic simulation, and the interaction between the simulated surfactant and coal dust both on its own and in a composite with polyacrylamide (PAM) was studied. The molecular adsorption behavior of cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) surfactant mixed in different ratios with PAM was also experimentally characterized. The results showed that. From the above results, we can see that CTAC and PAM can form spherical, rod-shaped, and wormlike aggregates and a network structure as their volume fraction increases in an aqueous solution. The energy spectrum showed that when CTAC adsorbed on the surface of the coal, the content of carbon on the surface decreased from 63.8 to 50.4%, and the content of oxygen increased from 35.2 to 41.8%. The study on the adsorption mechanism of surfactants and polymers on the surface of low rank coal and the hydrophilicity of low rank coal is of great significance in developing efficient dust prevention technology for low rank coal to reduce coal dust pollution.

The migration of CO and PM under different working conditions of trackless rubber-tyred vehicle and health risk assessment of underground personnel.

Trackless rubber-tyred vehicles are among the most widely used underground auxiliary transportation equipment in major coal mines at present. The migration of exhaust gas that threaten human health varies with the working conditions of trackless rubber-tyred vehicles. In order to better evaluate the health risks faced by underground personnel in the process of exhaust emission from underground diesel vehicles, in this paper, the migration of carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM) emitted by trackless rubber-tyred vehicle under three working conditions was analyzed by using the method of CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) numerical simulation and field measurement. It can be concluded that the concentrations of CO and PM changed with the change of airflow field under different working conditions, and their distribution tended to be consistent on the whole. Although the migration of CO and PM were different under different working conditions, CO with high concentration (C ≥ 44.74 ppm) and PM with high concentration (C ≥ 89.47 mg/m³) were mainly distributed in the area near the exhaust pipe of trackless rubber-tyred vehicle. Therefore, the drivers of trackless rubber-tyred vehicle and underground personnel need to comprehensively consider the risk factors under different working conditions when carrying out personal protection.

Green surfactant-modified TiO2 nanoparticles doped with La-Cr bimetal for NOx removal.

Cost-effective new environmental catalysts play a crucial role in purifying NOx from exhaust gas of coal mine diesel vehicle. A new, environmentally friendly catalyst with high catalytic activity and good redox properties was prepared by a microwave-assisted sol-gel method using TiO2 nanoparticles as a catalyst, which were doped with La and Cr, and adding the surfactant dimethyldiallylammonium chloride (DMDAAC) as an organic modifier. The morphological characteristics, crystalline structure, functional groups, and elemental types of the catalyst were characterized, and the properties of the catalyst, such as redox ability and catalytic activity, were examined with H2-temperature-programmed reduction experiments and activity tests. The results showed that the addition of surfactant suppressed the growth of particle size, increased the specific surface area, and improved the redox ability and catalytic activity of the catalyst. I hope to reduce the pollution of NOx to environment and achieve efficient cleaner production.

Study of the microscopic mechanism of lauryl glucoside wetting coal dust: Environmental pollution prevention and control.

Molecular dynamics simulation combined with experimental methods were used to investigate the adsorption and wetting process of 25 lauryl glucoside (APG-12) molecules on coal molecules and in turn study the dust suppression mechanism by APG-12 at the molecular level. Through wetting experiments, our preliminary findings showed that APG-12 does have a certain wetting effect on coal dust. According to density functional theory in molecular dynamics simulations, the electrostatic potential and surface charge of the APG-12 and coal molecular models were analyzed to identify their nucleophilic and electrophilic regions, and illustrate the hydrogen bond adsorption mechanism. The dynamics simulation results showed that APG-12 molecules can be easily adsorbed on the surface of coal molecules and then adsorb water molecules around them under the action of hydrogen bonds. This was consistent with the results of an analysis of the system's radial distribution function and the relative concentration distribution of each component in the Z-axis direction. The results are in good agreement with the experimental results from scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrometer analysis. These data provide further evidence that APG-12 can clearly improve the wettability and suppression of coal dust, which is of great importance for controlling coal dust pollution.

Behavior of the particulate matter (PM) emitted by trackless rubber-tyred vehicle (TRTV) at an idle speed under different movement conditions and ventilation optimization.

The particulate matter (PM) emitted by a trackless rubber-tyred vehicle (TRTV) in coal mines can seriously threaten the health and safety of the exposed workers underground. In this paper, in order to effectively reduce the PM concentration and improve the underground working environment, a combination of numerical simulations and field measurements was adopted to study the migration distribution of the PM emitted by a TRTV at an idle speed for 60 s under different movement conditions, and the dilution effects of the ventilation rate on the PM. The results showed that under different movement conditions, the PM mainly moved along the floor of the roadway, but upward diffusion trends were shown overall, which meant that the chambers are in high-risk areas. Field measurements were then performed under the two conditions to verify the effectiveness of the simulations. Furthermore, the dilution effects of the increased ventilation rate on the PM were analyzed. It was concluded that the optimal dilution ventilation rate under condition 1 was 4600m3/min, and that under condition 2 was 2800m3/min. Accordingly, the driver of the TRTV should try to move forward when entering the chamber.