US Patent 7208023 Dry dust control materials

The present invention discloses methods to reduce dusting in bulk materials, such as coal. The method includes mixing with the bulk material either a fraction of the bulk material having an electrostatic charge opposite that of the remainder of the bulk material or a heterologous charge control agent having an electrostatic charge opposite that of the bulk material. The attractive forces between the opposite electrostatic charges agglomerate dust particles to larger particles that quickly settle to control dusting. Also disclosed are materials produced by the methods described above.