The influence of sulfur content and moisture content on the ignition energy of sulfide mineral dust

Mining sulfur-containing metal ore poses various hazards, with dust explosions being a significant concern that seriously endangers both personal and production safety. To address this issue, this paper presents the design and construction of an experimental platform to investigate the ignition energy of sulfide mineral dust. This paper measured the temperature and weight changes of sulfide mineral dust samples with varying sulfur and moisture contents under high-temperature ignition conditions. The findings reveal that the sulfur content of sulfide mineral dust plays a crucial role in its ignition state, the sulfide mineral dust with a sulfur content of less than 17% is not easily ignitable. However, when the sulfur content exceeds 22%, the dust absorbs more ignition energy, leading to an elevated risk of explosion. Moreover, the combustion process of sulfide mineral dust is more stable when the moisture content ranges from 2% to 4%. At this moisture level, the ignition stage absorbs the highest amount of ignition energy, resulting in the highest risk of explosion. As the moisture content increases, the inhibitory effect of moisture on the combustion gradually increases. This paper provides a theoretical basis for preventing the combustion and explosion of sulfide mineral dust. © 2025 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.