Effectiveness and mechanism of microbial dust suppressant on coal dust with different metamorphosis degree

The extraction of coal from open-pit mines significantly contributes to environmental degradation, posing grave risks to human health and the operational stability of machinery. In this milieu, microbial dust suppressants leveraging microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) demonstrate substantial potential for application. This manuscript undertakes an exploration of the dust mitigation efficiency, consolidation attributes, and the fundamental mechanisms of microbial dust suppressants across coal dust samples with varying metamorphic gradations. Empirical observations indicate that, in resistance tests against wind and rain, lignite coal underwent mass losses of 7.43 g·m−2·min−1 and 98.62 g·m−2·min−1, respectively. The production of consolidating agents within the lignite dust, attributable to the microbial suppressants, was measured at 0.15 g per unit mass, a value of 1.25 and 1.07 times greater than that observed in bituminous coal and anthracite, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy coupled with X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM–EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses illuminated that the consolidating products within the coal dust predominantly constituted calcite and vaterite forms of calcium carbonate. The consolidation mechanism of coal dust via microbial suppressants is articulated as follows: Subsequent to the application on coal dust, the suppressants induce the formation of carbonate precipitates with inherent adhesive properties. These carbonates affix to the surfaces of coal dust particles, progressively encapsulating them. Furthermore, they play a pivotal role in bridging and filling the interstices between adjacent dust particles, thereby culminating in the genesis of a dense, cohesive mass capable of withstanding erosive forces. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024.