The role of sorption of water vapour in the spontaneous heating of coal

✍ Scribed by K.K. Bhattacharyya

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1971
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 822 KB
• Volume: 50
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0016-2361
• DOI: 10.1016/0016-2361(71)90026-3

✦ Synopsis

Laboratory experiments have been carried out to measure the rates of heat release from different coals by a calorimeter during sorption of water vapour in isothermal conditions. It has been observed that the rate of heat generation in a particular coal increases with the equilibrium humidity deficiency ol the coal, i.e.with the difference of equilibrium humidity of air and coal. For a given coal, the rate of heat generation due to oxidation has been found to be negligible in comparison with that due to sorption of water vapour. A small 'peak' at the beginning of the rate curves has been observed during the tests with dry coals, with the exception of anthracite; explanations for this phenomenon have been attempted. The results also show that under a given test condition the characteristic rate of heat release is dependent on the type of coal, its particle size and its weathering.