Investigation into the Materials and Methods for the Prevention and Control of Carbon Monoxide During Underground Coal Mine Blasting

Constrained by the layout and air volume of coal mine ventilation systems, the efficiency of diluting CO through ventilation during excavation blasting is relatively low, rendering it difficult to reduce or eliminate CO at the source. Based on the precipitation method, this study developed a copper–manganese–tin (Cu-Mn-Sn) catalyst. The elimination performance of the water-resistant Cu-Mn-Sn catalyst was quantitatively characterized in terms of catalytic activity and instantaneous reaction rate. Moreover, an in situ CO elimination method for blasting at excavation faces was proposed. Based on the segmented integrated blasting hole structure design, a catalyst cartridge for CO elimination in blasting holes was developed. Field tests were conducted at the Xinbai Coal Mine of Huating Coal Industry Group in China, and the influences of the weight and arrangement mode of the catalyst cartridge on CO elimination efficiency were investigated. The experimental results demonstrate that when the mass of the catalyst cartridge is 35 g and the “dual-end charge” structure is employed, a CO elimination efficiency of 51.5% can be achieved, offering a practical and feasible active prevention and control scheme as well as a theoretical paradigm for CO control in coal mine excavation blasting.