Hydrogen Inhibition Effect of Chitosan and Sodium Phosphate on ZK60 Waste Dust in a Wet Dust Removal System: A Feasible Way to Control Hydrogen Explosion

Wet dust removal systems used to control dust in the polishing or grinding process of Mg alloy products are frequently associated with potential hydrogen explosion caused by magnesium-water reaction. For purpose of avoiding hydrogen explosion risks, we try to use a combination of chitosan (CS) and sodium phosphate (SP) to inhibit the hydrogen evolution reaction between magnesium alloy waste dust and water. The hydrogen evolution curves and chemical kinetics modeling for ten different mixing ratios demonstrate that 0.4% wt CS + 0.1% wt SP yields the best inhibition efficiency with hydrogen generation rate of almost zero. SEM and EDS analyses indicate that this composite inhibitor can create a uniform, smooth, tight protective film over the surface of the alloy dust particles. FTIR and XRD analysis of the chemical composition of the surface film show that this protective film contains CS and SP chemically adsorbed on the surface of ZK60 but no detectable Mg(OH)2, suggesting that magnesium-water reaction was totally blocked. Our new method offers a thorough solution to hydrogen explosion by inhibiting the hydrogen generation of magnesium alloy waste dust in a wet dust removal system.