The effect of pore volume of hard coals on their susceptibility to spontaneous combustion

Abstract

In this paper the results of the experimental studies on a relationship between pore volume of hard coals and their tendency to spontaneous combustion are presented. Pore volumes were determined by the gas adsorption method and spontaneous combustion tendencies of coals were evaluated by determination of the spontaneous combustion indexes S z a and S z a ′ on the basis of the current Polish standards. An increase in the spontaneous combustion susceptibility of coal occurs in the case of the rise both in micropore volumes and in macropore surfaces. Porosity of coal strongly affects the possibility of oxygen diffusion into the micropores of coal located inside its porous structure. The volume of coal micropores determined on the basis of the carbon dioxide adsorption isotherms can serve as an indicator of a susceptibility of coal to spontaneous combustion. © 2014 Agnieszka Dudzińska.