Experimental investigation on coal desorption characteristics and spontaneous combustion properties evolution under the coupled effect of temperature and pressure

Abstract

Gas desorption patterns and microscopic pore structure morphology in coal are influenced by the coupled effects of temperature and pressure, and their effects on the spontaneous combustion (SC) characteristics of coal cannot be ignored. In this paper, two types of coal samples, lean coal and fat coal from high gas-prone SC mines, are used as test objects. A self-designed experimental platform for coupling gas adsorption and desorption with coal spontaneous combustion (CSC) and heating and oxidation was used. Firstly, orthogonal tests on the desorption of methane from coal under the coupling effect of different temperatures and pressures were carried out to obtain a gradual decrease of methane desorption from coal with increasing temperature under the same pressure conditions. The results show that the pore volume and specific surface area of coal show a monotonic decreasing pattern with increasing temperature and pressure, while the percentage of micropores and mesopores, which promote the oxygen reaction of coal, show an increasing trend. In addition, a comparative analysis of the characteristic temperature points of the first stage showed that the characteristic temperature points of the desorbed coal were higher than those of the original coal, reflecting the higher SC activity of the desorbed coal; and the crossover temperature points of the lean coal and the fat coal were 79 °C and 88 °C, respectively, after desorption during the heating and oxidation process, which also confirmed the high SC activity of the desorbed coal. Based on the above findings, the methane concentration calculation model of the mining area was applied to redraw the oxidation zone using the mining area of the 41,201 working face of Hongyang No. 2 Mine as an example, and the area was reduced by 39.5%. The research results of the paper can provide guidance for the prevention and control of fire hazards in mines with high gas-prone SC.