Research on the wettability of coal dust using surfactants

Abstract In this paper, the mechanism of ionic surfactants synergistically changing the surface wettability of bituminous coal dust was investigated using various macroscopic and microscopic means, and the interactions of anionic and nonionic surfactants were explored. The study showed that: the surface tension of the three surfactants decreased with the increase of concentration at low concentrations and stabilised when the mass concentration was greater than 0.05%; the anionic-nonionic complex had the strongest synergistic ability; and the best wetting effect was achieved when the volume ratio of 0.05% SDS and 0.05% OP- 10 was 3:2. The related research ideas and results can provide reference for the application of dust reduction technology in underground coal mines.