The dynamic change of pore structure for low-rank coal under refined upgrading pretreatment temperatures

Abstract

AbstractPore structure characteristics are significant factor in the evaluation of the physical characteristics of low-rank coal. In this study, three low-rank coal samples were collected from the Xishanyao Formation, Santanghu Basin, and low-temperature liquid-nitrogen adsorption (LP-N2A) measurements were taken under various pretreatment temperatures. Owing to the continuous loss of water and volatile matter in low-rank coal, the total pore volume assumes a three-step profile with knee temperatures of 150 °C and 240 °C. However, the ash in the coal can protect the coal skeleton. Pore collapse mainly occurs for mesopores with aperture smaller than 20 nm. Mesopores with apertures smaller than 5 nm exhibit a continuous decrease in pore volume, whereas the pore volume of mesopores with apertures ranging from 5 to 10 nm increases at lower pretreatment temperatures (<150 °C) followed by a faint decrease. As for mesopores with apertures larger than 10 nm, the pore volume increases significantly when the pretreatment temperature reaches 300 °C. The pore structure of low-rank coal features a significant heating effect, the pretreatment temperature should not exceed 150 °C when the LP-N2A is used to evaluate the pore structure of low-rank coal to effectively evaluate the reservoir characteristics of low-rank coal.