Synergistic effects of organosilicon and anionic surfactants for enhanced coal dust suppression and pollution control

Coal mining generates significant respirable dust, posing serious health risks to workers and environmental challenges. While traditional dust suppression techniques mainly utilize water-based solutions with hydrophilic surfactants, the potential of hydrophobic surfactants remains underexplored. This study uniquely investigates the synergistic effects of a highly hydrophobic polyether-modified heptamethyltrisiloxane (GT-248) silicone nonionic surfactant in combination with three anionic hydrocarbon surfactants—sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, sodium olefinosulfonate, and sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate—known for their strong wetting properties, via molecular electrostatic potential analysis, why the GT-248/T-50 mixture exhibits the strongest synergy. Molecular dynamics simulations, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and molecular electrostatic potential analysis were employed to assess the adsorption behaviors and dust settling efficiency. Results demonstrate that the nonionic and anionic surfactant mixture exhibited synergistic interactions, leading to enhanced adsorption on coal dust surfaces and a significant reduction in performance under static conditions. The combination of 0.10 wt% GT-248 and 0.04 wt% T-50 anionic surfactant achieved the best performance in dust suppression, offering a promising strategy for improving coal dust control. This study provides novel research insights into the application of hydrophobic surfactants for clean coal mining practices and pollution mitigation. It thereby paves the way for subsequent research and innovation, holding significant potential for enhancing environmental safety and operational efficiency.