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Coal dust characterization and the impact of cutting parameters on fine particles
Sesay, Manso Deen
Sesay, Manso Deen
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2024
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Abstract
Workers engaged in mechanical rock extraction may face significant long-term health risks from exposure to respirable rock dust. The purpose of this study is to describe and quantify the respirable dust generated during the cutting of coal using conical picks in varying states of wear including brand-new, moderately worn, and completely worn in a controlled laboratory setting.
Characterizing coal dust is crucial for determining appropriate respirable dust suppression levels and managing exposures throughout a pick's lifespan in underground mining and engineering operations.
In the laboratory testing program, eight coal samples were cut using three conical picks at different wear stages on a full-scale linear cutting machine (LCM). Dust samples were collected during cutting using various instruments to analyze mineralogy, particle morphologies, particle size distributions, and concentrations.
The results indicate that dust concentration and roughness increase with the rise in pick tip radii as it wears out, with each of the three picks producing distinct particle size distributions. Statistical analysis reveals that variations in fine particle size distributions and larger fragments are influenced by pick wear. However, no clear pattern or relationship was identified to suggest how the distribution of fine particles varied by pick wear levels. There were no significant
differences in the size distributions of particles within the respirable range of 0.2 to 10 microns. The aspect ratio and perimeter of particles produced by the new pick are higher, indicating that the rock is ground and broken into larger pieces as the pick radius increases.
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