Treatments for non-caking mine rock dust

Abstract

A composition for use as rock dust is disclosed. The composition may include an inorganic particulate material treated with at least one surface treatment. The surface treatment may include at least one of a fatty acid, a salt thereof, or an ester thereof, silicone oil, silane, or siloxane. Also disclosed is a composition that may include coal dust and mine rock dust including a inorganic particulate material treated with at least one a fatty acid, a salt thereof, or an ester thereof, silicone oil, silane, or siloxane. The mine rock dust may be sufficient to render the coal dust explosively inert. A composition may include a mine rock dust that may pass 20-L explosibility test or may pass ASTM E1515 explosibility test. A composition may include a mine rock dust that may have a dispersion greater than or equal to about 0.1% by weight.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A composition comprising:
 a mine rock dust comprising a hydrophobic inorganic particulate material,   wherein when the hydrophobic inorganic particulate material is a stearic acid treated wet ground inorganic particulate material having a d 50 , the mine rock dust does not include an untreated dry ground inorganic particulate material having a d 50  greater than the d 50  of the stearic acid treated wet ground inorganic particulate material.   
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic inorganic particulate material comprises an inorganic particulate material treated with at least one hydrophobic treatment. 
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic inorganic particulate material comprises ground calcium carbonate. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the mine rock dust further comprises an untreated inorganic particulate material. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 4 , wherein the ratio of hydrophobic inorganic particulate material to untreated inorganic particulate material ranges from about 1:99 to about 99:1. 
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic inorganic particulate material has a d 50  ranging from about 1 to about 75 microns. 
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 2 , wherein the hydrophobic treatment comprises a surface treatment with at least one fatty acid, a salt thereof, or an ester thereof, silicone oil, silane, or siloxane. 
     
     
         8 . The, composition of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic inorganic particulate material comprises an inorganic particulate material treated with silicone oil. 
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 7 , wherein the fatty acid, a salt thereof, or an ester thereof, silicone oil, silane, or siloxane is present in an amount not greater than about 2.5% by weight of the inorganic particulate material. 
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic inorganic particulate material has a contact angle ranging from 90 to about 150 degrees. 
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition renders coal dust explosively inert according to a 20-L explosibility test. 
     
     
         12 . A composition comprising:
 coal dust; and   a mine rock dust comprising an inorganic particulate material having a hydrophobic treatment, wherein the amount of mine rock dust is sufficient to render the coal dust explosively inert according to a 20-L explosibility test,   wherein when the inorganic particulate material having a hydrophobic treatment is a stearic acid treated wet ground inorganic particulate material having a d 50 , the mine rock dust does not include an untreated dry ground inorganic particulate material having a d 50  greater than the d 50  of the stearic acid treated wet ground inorganic particulate material.   
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 12 , wherein the hydrophobic treatment comprises a surface treatment. 
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 13 , wherein the surface treatment comprises silicone oil. 
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 13 , wherein the surface treatment comprises at least one fatty acid, a salt thereof, or an ester thereof, silicone oil, silane, or siloxane. 
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 12 , wherein the mine rock dust further comprises an untreated inorganic particulate material. 
     
     
         17 . The composition of  claim 16 , wherein the ratio of treated inorganic particulate material to untreated inorganic particulate material ranges from about 1:99 to about 99:1. 
     
     
         18 . The composition of  claim 13 , wherein the surface treatment is present in an amount not greater than about 2.5% by weight of the inorganic particulate material. 
     
     
         19 . The composition of  claim 12 , wherein the treated inorganic particulate material has a contact angle ranging from 90 to about 150 degrees. 
     
     
         20 . A method of rendering coal dust explosively inert, the method comprising:
 applying a mine rock dust comprising a hydrophobic inorganic particulate material to at least one surface of a mine,   wherein when the hydrophobic inorganic particulate material is a stearic acid treated wet ground inorganic particulate material having a d 50 , the mine rock dust does not include an untreated dry ground inorganic particulate material having a d 50  greater than the d 50  of the stearic acid treated wet ground inorganic particulate material.