Tao Li

Effectively controlling the adsorption and desorption of coal and mine gas is crucial to preventing harm to the environment. Therefore, this paper investigated the adsorption of coal and methane molecules from the perspective of microscopic energy through Gaussian simulation. Gaussian 09W and GaussView 5.0 software were used to construct and optimize the molecular model of four different metamorphic coals, namely lignite, sub-bituminous coal, bituminous coal, and anthracite, and their adsorption structure with methane as well as the energy, bond length, vibration frequency, infrared spectrum, and other data on the optimal structure were obtained. The binding energy of coal molecules and methane from large to small was as follows: sub-bituminous coal (7.3696 KJ/mol), lignite (6.6149 KJ/mol), bituminous coal (5.2170 KJ/mol), and anthracite (4.9510 KJ/mol). The equilibrium distance was negatively correlated with the binding energy, and the molecular structure and position of coal largely determined the binding energy. Additionally, adsorption was more likely to occur between methane molecules and hydroxyl groups. Many new vibration modes were observed during the adsorption of coal and methane molecules. This paper is of practical significance, as studying the adsorption of coal and mine gas can prevent and control mine gas outbursts and ensure safe production.

Coal seam water injection technology enables seam permeability enhancement and facilitates outburst risk reduction. This study investigated the microscale effects of water infiltration on coal and the evolution mechanisms of its mechanical properties. To this end, we systematically analyzed dynamic changes (such as mineral composition, pore structure, and mechanical performance) in coal soaked for various durations using X-ray diffraction, low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and uniaxial compression testing. The results indicate: (1) the coal NMR T₂ spectrum displays three characteristic peaks, corresponding to rapid water absorption, uniform transition, and stabilization stages of soaking traditionally divided according to peak area variation trends. (2) The coal strength decreases with progressive soaking, influenced by water content, pore volume, mineral composition, etc. Its compressive strength and elastic modulus drop by 22.4% and 19.5%, respectively, compared to the initial values. (3) The expansion of clay minerals during immersion reduces average pore size. In contrast, quartz particle displacement, pore water movement, and soluble mineral dissolution increase pore volume, reducing the overall structure strength. (4) The dominant factors driving the degradation of mechanical properties vary across immersion stages, including water content and specific mineral concentration. This work offers new insights into how hydraulic technology alters coal seams, providing theoretical support for optimizing water injection strategies in the seam.

The transportation of coal-based solid waste filling slurry (CSWFS) through pipelines for underground goaf injection is essential for enhancing mine safety and promoting green, low-carbon coal mining. To address the issue of pipeline blockage caused by the suspension sensitivity of CSWFS during long-distance transportation, this study proposes the addition of the suspending agent hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) to transform the filling slurry into a stable suspending slurry. The mechanism by which the suspending agent modifies the rheological property of CSWFS was elucidated and verified. Firstly, an evaluation index system for the suspending state of CSWFS based on the “experimental test and theoretical calculation” was established. The values for layering degree, bleeding rate time-loss, and the corresponding average time-loss rate over 0 to 120 min of A1–A5 CSWFS were recorded as 24 mm–2 mm, 3.0–0.2%, 252.4–54.2%, and 149.6–14.6%, respectively. The concentration gradient evaluation result, C/C_A = 0.91 (≥0.8), confirmed that the suspending agent maintained a stable suspending state over time for CSWFS. Secondly, it was demonstrated that the suspending agent HPMC modified the rheological property of A1–A5 CSWFS by increasing its plastic viscosity, which strengthened the viscous resistance to particle settling, thereby transforming a semi-stable slurry into a stable one. Additionally, the formation of a spatial suspending network by the suspending agent ensures that no pipeline blockage accidents occured in practical engineering applications. Furthermore, the XRD and SEM tests were utilized to verify the microstructure of the top (T) and bottom (B) samples in A4 block. It was concluded that the type of hydration products, occurrence forms, lapping compactness, and microstructural development were consistent, ultimately forming a high-strength, dense, hardened filling block. Finally, numerical simulation confirmed that the addition of suspending agent in A4 slurry formed a comprehensive spatial suspending network and a well-structured, unified system. This is one effective approach which could contribute to addressing the technical issue of pipeline blockage during long-distance pipeline transportation.

Clogging pipelines is one of the most common and urgent problems in paste backfill mining. The aim of the present study was to solve the problem of pipe blockage in paste backfill mining. In this paper, paste mixed with coal gangue, fly ash, cement, and additives is used to investigate the influence of three air-entraining agents (AEAs) (including sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), triterpene saponin (SJ), and sodium abietate (SA)) on the flow characteristics and strength characteristics of the paste. A series of relevant tests was conducted on the paste, such as air content experiments, slump and expansion experiments, viscosity and yield stress tests, and the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) test. The results show that the air content of the paste increases with increasing AEA content, but the increase is limited and reaches a maximum at 0.9 AEA. The slump of the paste increased by up to 10–13 mm, and expansion increased by up to 66–130 mm compared to the paste without AEA. The viscosity of the paste decreased by up to 0.13–0.20 Pa·s, and the yield stress decreased by 81.47%–93.7% of the original. The strength of the paste was also reduced, and after 28 days of curing, the strength was reduced by up to 1–1.2 MPa. Taking into account the strength requirement of 3 MPa for the paste from the Linxi mine, it was considered that the dosage of 0.9 B was a good choice, as it could better change the flowability of the paste and reduce the pipeline transportation resistance and transportation energy consumption. At the same time, the strength was also acceptable. The study in this paper can provide a reference for performance studies of pastes mixed with coal gangue, fly ash, cement, and additives as materials.