Microscopic characterization and mesoscopic simulation of the interaction between chemically grafted copolymer and coal dust in an open-pit coal mining environment

To optimize the control of coal dust by a chemical dust suppressor, a new starch copolymer was synthesized by grafting itaconic acid-acrylic acid copolymer onto corn starch. Infrared spectroscopy was used to analyze the functional groups of the copolymer, and the adhesion performance of the copolymer was measured with coal dust adsorption experiments. The results showed that the characteristic absorption peak of the six-membered sugar ring of the starch had disappeared, indicating that the grafting of the itaconic acid-acrylic acid copolymer to the starch was successful. Surface adsorption experiments combined with molecular dynamics simulations verified the adsorption of the starch copolymer on the coal dust as well as the wrapping of the copolymer around the coal dust. After spraying for 72 h, the moisture content of the starch copolymer was still >4%, demonstrating its high moisture retention. The results of this study can be used as a reference and can provide a new method for suppressing coal dust pollution.