BACKGROUNDCoal dust is a major byproduct generated during coal mining production. The diffusion of coal dust not only causes severe environmental pollution, but also poses a serious threat to miners' health. How to provide effective control over coal dust remains one of the key topics of coal mine occupational safety research. RESULTSThe present study is focused on the preparation of an environmentally-friendly cementing agent applicable to the transportation, stacking and storage of coal. The product is characterized by a combination of infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), simultaneous thermal analyzer (TGA-DSC)and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) so as to analyze the microscopic reaction and structure of the product; single factor experiments focusing on the peeling strength are carried out to determine the optimal synthesis condition. CONCLUSIONA study on the characteristics of the cementing agent produced indicates that it has an effective dust suppression capability and extreme resistance against unfavorable application conditions. (c) 2017 Society of Chemical Industry