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Experimental study on coal pore structure deterioration under freeze–thaw cycles

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Abstract

This study investigated the impact of consecutive freeze–thaw cycles on the coal pore structure deterioration. Eight coal samples (cores and thin sections) underwent different numbers of freeze–thaw cycles. The effect of freeze–thaw cycles on microscopic characteristics of the coal samples was evaluated by nuclear magnetic resonance and scanning electron microscope. The experimental results showed that the coal samples were significantly deteriorated by freeze–thaw cycles, inducing numerous cracks generated on the sample surfaces. The total porosity of coal continuously increased with consecutive freeze–thaw cycles. The number of pores in the coal samples increased under the effect of freeze–thaw stress. Moreover, the proportion of pores in the coal after freeze–thaw cycles altered. The proportion of micropores and mini-pores gradually decreased, while that of meso-pores and macro-pores (cracks) increased. Therefore, freeze–thaw stress was conducive to gas desorption, diffusion, and transportation, which ultimately improved the efficiency of coal bed methane extraction from coal seams.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2017XKQY028).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Coal Methane and Fire Control, Ministry of Education, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, Jiangsu, China

    Cheng Zhai, Shiliang Wu, Lei Qin & Jizhao Xu

  2. Key Laboratory of Coal-based CO2 Capture and Geological Storage, Jiangsu Province, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221008, Jiangsu, China

    Cheng Zhai, Shiliang Wu, Lei Qin & Jizhao Xu

  3. Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering, G3 Center and Energy Institute, Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, 16802, USA

    Cheng Zhai & Shimin Liu

Authors
  1. Cheng Zhai
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  2. Shiliang Wu
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  3. Shimin Liu
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  4. Lei Qin
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  5. Jizhao Xu
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Correspondence to Cheng Zhai.

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Zhai, C., Wu, S., Liu, S. et al. Experimental study on coal pore structure deterioration under freeze–thaw cycles. Environ Earth Sci 76, 507 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-017-6829-9

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