Preparation and characterization of modified dual network dust suppression gel based on sodium alginate and soluble starch

Aiming at the problems of complex environment and serious dust pollution in large open-pit coal yards, a dust suppression gel with a dual network structure was prepared by modifying the soluble starch and sodium alginate with iron ions. The changes of functional groups, thermal stability, and morphology structure before and after the reaction were analyzed by FTIR, TG-DSC, and SEM, and the formation mechanism of the dual network was revealed by XPS. Furthermore, the water absorption and water retention experiments proved that the dual network structure is more conducive to water retention than the single-layer network. According to molecular dynamics simulations and contact angle experiments, gel and adsorbed water molecules can approach coal dust molecules on their own to contact, wet, and combine with coal dust. The adhesion test proved that the dust suppression gel with iron ions had better adhesion to dust. The anti-freezing test shows that the dust suppression gel has good anti-freezing performance. The antifreeze test shows that the dust suppression gel still has excellent freeze–thaw resistance at the test temperature of??-20℃. The mechanical property test shows that the dust suppressant gel can prevent the product from being damaged by external force. The acid and alkali resistance experiments showed that the acid and alkali resistance of the gel was improved under the condition of iron ion modification, and the flying of coal powder was effectively prevented. This research provides a new theoretical idea for coal dust control in complex environment.