Coal seam mining generates significant dust, posing serious threats to the safety of mining and the well-being of miners. This study suggests a delayed cross-linking approach to convert the dust suppressant into a gel within the coal seam, introduces a controllable slow-release ionic cross-linking dust suppressant, investigates its seepage behavior, and evaluates its dust suppression effectiveness in a coal seam. The experimental results show that the dust suppressant exhibits low viscosity and high fluidity during injection into the coal seam, facilitating effective infiltration into the seam. By managing the release rate of Ca