The Selection and Application of a Compound Wetting Agent to the Coal Seam Water Infusion for Dust Control

ABSTRACT

Coal mine dust may lead to coal miners’ pneumoconiosis and dust explosions, thus being seriously harmful to human beings. A wetting agent is commonly used to improve the efficiency of water infusion for mine dust control. Therefore, selecting an optimal wetting agent is crucial to this practice. This study measured surface tensions, contact angles, and capillary imbibitions of the wetting agents lauryl sodium sulfate (SDS), sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (LAS), sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate (AOT), and SDS compounded with five additives on a coal-seam sample in the laboratory. Their wettability is comparatively investigated. Results indicate the following: (1) to select an optimal compound wetting agent, it is necessary to calculate a capillary force rising factor or to conduct capillary imbibition tests besides the measurements for surface tension and contact angle; (2) a compound wetting agent made of 0.10 wt% SDS + 0.05 wt% NaAc is optimal for the wettability enhancement of this coal. Its capillary force rising factor is 1.44 and its capillary imbibition rate is 2.96 times that of water without wetting agent. Field test results also confirmed that adding the optimal compound wetting agent into water infusion can significantly improve dust-prevention efficiency.

KEYWORDS:

• Water infusion
• dust control
• optimum compound
• capillary force
• imbibition

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Yima Coal Industry (Group) Co., LTD, for their great support.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Program for Innovative Research Team in University of Ministry of Education of China (Grant no. IRT13098), the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China (Grant no. 51134023), the Qing Lan Project of Jiangsu Province, the Team Project Funded by 2014 Jiangsu Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program, and the First Outstanding Youth by the Organisation Department of the CPC Central Committee. This work is also a project funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions.