Experimental investigation and molecular dynamics study on the influence of non-ionic fluorocarbon solutions on the fast-wetting mechanism of coal dust

To explore methods for enhancing the wetting performance of coal dust to mitigate its hazards, this study selected four different structures of non-ionic fluorocarbon solutions: perfluorinated propyl acrylate (PFPA), perfluorooctyl acrylate (PFTA), perfluorooctyl sulfonyl phenyloxy ethyl methylacrylate (PPM), and perfluoro propanoic acid (PFA). The dynamic wetting performance and mechanisms of these solutions on coal dust were measured and analyzed through kinetic calculations. The results indicate that all four fluorocarbon solutions achieve optimal wetting performance at a concentration of 0.3 %. Comprehensive analysis shows that their wetting ability follows the order PFPA > PFTA > PPM > PFA. Further analysis reveals that coal dust treated with PFPA shows an increase in structures such as COOH and CO. The relative concentration distribution indicates partial overlap between the fluorocarbon solution and water, with an overlap range of 8.2 Å. Additionally, the maximum diffusion coefficient is 0.577 Å/ps, and the system’s adsorption energy is the highest at −5757.25 kcal/mol.