High-pressure deformation of coal from Powder River Basin, Wyoming

✍ Scribed by Brian P. Bonner; Albert E. Abey

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1975
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 382 KB
• Volume: 54
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0016-2361
• DOI: 10.1016/0016-2361(75)90005-8

✦ Synopsis

Data on the mechanical response of Powder River Basin coal at high pressures are needed to model the fracture properties of coal beds subjected to explosive loading. The pressurevolume relation to 3.0 GPa, and shear-strength v. mean-pressure failure properties, to a confining pressure of 0.7 GPa, are reported. Brittle fracture was found to limit the shear strength of the coal, even at 0.7 GPa. The coal was compressible (22% volume strain at 3.0 GPa) with little or no unloading hysteresis. The discontinuous, pressureinduced phase transitions normally associated with free water were not evident in the coal compressions, although water was present.