A Laboratory Evaluation of Haul Road Dust Suppression Using Water Soluble PAM & PAM-co-PAMPS Polymers

Abstract

Haulage system of opencast mines produces a significant amount of dust, reaching up to 97% of total dust emission, primarily due to the movement of heavy earth-moving machinery used for transporting minerals and waste materials. The generated dust not only reduces mine productivity but also increases accident rates and various types of human diseases. Therefore, the generation of dust needs to be minimized as much as possible. An experimental study was conducted using dust from an Indian coal mine to evaluate the effectiveness of dust suppression control strategy based on spraying with a mixture of water and two distinct polymers: polyacrylamide (PAM) and Polyacrylamide grafted poly (PAM-co-PAMPS). These polymers were synthesized using a free radical polymerization technique in the laboratory and were thoroughly characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Hydrogen Atom Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1H NMR), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and Intrinsic Viscosity Analysis. The effectiveness of these polymer solutions and reference tap water were analyzed by measuring their ability to retain moisture and reduce dust emissions at three different temperatures (25 °C, 35 °C, and 45 °C). The results showed that PAM and PAM-co-PAMPS, depending on time intervals and temperatures, increased moisture retention by 4.82% to 35.93%. Furthermore, the application of these polymers led to substantial reductions in dust emissions over specified durations and temperatures, with reductions ranging from 16.33% to an impressive 75.2%. The application of these polymers proved highly effective in minimizing dust emissions from mining haul roads, improving safety, productivity, and conserving large quantities of water. © The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy Sciences 2025.