Research and Application of Composite Functional Dust Suppressant for the Slope Road of a Metal Mine

In addressing the inadequacies of bonded dust suppressants employed in mining road applications, a novel approach is proposed for the research and development of a multifunctional road surface dust suppressant. A moisturizing functional component was added to enhance the fluidity and penetration capabilities of the dust suppressant; it can improve the coupling efficiency between the dust suppressant and the dust particles and then enhance the strength and thickness of the cemented layer of the dust suppressant. Fenugreek gum is selected as the bonding functional component due to its abundance in hydrophilic groups, facilitating enhanced coupling compatibility among the functional components and improving the coupling strength and crush-resistant performance of the dust suppressant cemented layer. The test method was proposed to simulate the action of vehicle roll, and the parameter of the abrasive resistance ratio is used to assess this effect. The optimized ratio of the multifunctional dust suppressant was obtained through laboratory experiments, and the results showed that the wind erosion rate was 36.0% at a wind speed of 8.0 m/s, and the abrasive resistance ratio was 72.9%. A field test was carried out in a metal mine, and the results show that the 24-h total dust suppression efficiency of the underground ramp without car and with car passage is 94.43% and 82.96%, respectively, which indicates that the dust suppressant has a certain performance resistance to vehicle rolling. By analyzing the microphotographs of dust samples, because of the synergistic effect of different functional components, the dust clusters in the solidified layer after treatment are interconnected to form a large number of curved and folded three-dimensional network coupling structures, and the wind erosion resistance and wear resistance are significantly improved.