Preparation and performance analysis of enteromorpha-based environmentally friendly dust suppressant

Aiming to solve the difficult treatment for Enteromorpha found on beaches as well as the requirements for new types of environment-friendly dust suppressants, an Enteromorpha-based environment-friendly dust suppressant was prepared by graft polymerization. The optimal reaction conditions were determined based on the viscosity of the dust suppressant solution as follows: the mass ratios of Enteromorpha, acrylic acid, and polyacrylamide were 2:5:0.3; the reaction temperature was 70 °C; the solids content was 5%; and a mass concentration of 0.2% lauryl sodium sulfate was added to enhance the wettability performance. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetry (TG)-derivative analysis (dTG) were used to characterize the chemical structure and thermal stability of the dust suppressant, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to analyze and evaluate the film structure formed on the coal samples after it was sprayed with the dust suppressant. The dust suppression performance of dust suppressant was studied through a series of experiments, and the results showed that the dust suppressant had a good wetting ability for coal dust. The contact angle of the dust suppressant solution with the coal dust was reduced by 77% compared to water, and the improved infiltration of the suppressant into the dust improved the dust suppression range. After it was sprayed on the surface of the coal dust, the dust suppressant formed a solidified layer, and the compressive strength of the layer reached 122.6 kPa. The pulverized coal loss rate was only 2.94% at a wind speed of 10 m/s. The water retention time of the coal samples after they were treated with the dust suppressant reached 12 h at 60 °C. The degradation of the dust suppressant in soil reached 40% after the 12th cycle, which suggested the newly synthesized materials would not be a secondary pollutant in the environment. This work provides a new approach for Enteromorpha treatment and a basis for the preparation of new types of environmentally friendly and highly efficient dust suppressants.