Mining is a dusty business. Fine-grained material from hauling, crushing, blasting, transporting and storing rock can linger in the air. These dusts cause several problems, including reducing visibility, creating explosive mixtures and causing health hazards for mine workers and surrounding communities.
Water only temporarily suppresses dust, especially in arid or semi-arid regions like Arizona. Salt-based dust suppressants can damage vehicles, negatively impact soil and aquatic health, and may not come from sustainable resources.
UArizona researchers are studying alternatives to existing dust suppressants using nature as inspiration. Evaluating a class of molecules modeled on naturally occurring microbial surfactants (soaps), they hope to identify glycolipids—soaps consisting of sugars and fats—suitable for dust suppression in mining applications. These new dust suppressants are biodegradable and avoid problems other suppressants cause.
With a diversity of bioinspired glycolipid structures available, new agents may be customized for specific types of dust, such as for use to tamp down soil dust or coal dust.
The funding supports graduate students from the College of Engineering and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences who will perform the research. It also will help purchase an advanced dust monitor to evaluate the performance of different bioinspired glycolipids.
For more information on this project, please contact: Minkyu Kim