A comparative evaluation of static and dynamic test methods for assessing the effectiveness of biopolymer-based dust suppressants in mine tailings

• Guar gum and CMC significantly improve the erosion resistance of mine tailings. • 0.8% CMC shows the best mechanical strength and wind erosion resistance. • Penetration test is a more reliable method to evaluate biopolymer dust control. • Biopolymer performance declines when concentration exceeds 1.2% As a byproduct of mineral processing, mine tailings pose significant environmental risks due to dust emissions and associated heavy metal contamination, which lead to serious health issues in humans. Conventional dust control methods, such as water spray or chemical suppressant, are either not cost-effective or pose unignorable environmental concerns, especially in arid regions. Biopolymers, as sustainable, environmentally friendly, and biodegradable materials, have been widely used in the mining industry as effective dust suppressants. However, the reliability of commonly used static evaluation methods remains unclear. This study examines the reliability of the two static methods −the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test and penetration resistance test, with the wind tunnel test, to assess their effectiveness in evaluating biopolymer-treated mine tailings. Different types and concentrations of biopolymers were investigated. The results show that the UCS test results are inconsistent with the dynamic test results, whereas the penetration test correlated with the dynamic tests. Among all of the tested biopolymers, 0.8% carboxymethyl cellulose treatment yields the best dust control performance in both the static test and dynamic test. Based on the test results, penetration tests are more reliable and practical than the UCS test for assessing biopolymer performance in dust suppression.