Development of Polyalcohol‐Based Antifreeze‐Type Dust Suppressant for Railroad Coal Transportation

ABSTRACT During railway coal transportation, coal dust dispersion causes serious economic and environmental issues. To improve low‐temperature performance, this study develops an antifreeze‐type, high‐efficiency dust suppressant. By utilizing the hydrogen bonding between glycerol (Gly) and water molecules, the connections between water molecules are weakened, thereby preventing freezing at low temperatures. Meanwhile, hydrogen bonding and physical cross‐linking between the branched‐chain‐rich xanthan gum (XG) molecules and the long‐chain polymer polyacrylamide (PAM) molecules cause the dust suppressant solution to form a gel‐like film layer, which enhances the solidification efficiency and strength. The optimal formula is 0.2% XG, 45% Gly, 0.01% PAM, and 54.79% water. This dust suppressant solution exhibits good antifreeze and solidification properties, providing new insights for reducing transportation losses of railway coal transport and mitigating dust‐related environmental pollution.