Methane Adsorption Interpreting with Adsorption Potential and Its Controlling Factors in Various Rank Coals

Abstract

Water content, metamorphism (coal rank) particle size, and especially pore structure, strongly influence the adsorption capacity of coal to methane. To understand the mechanism of methane adsorption in different rank coals, and its controlling factors, isothermal adsorption experiments with different coal ranks, moisture contents and particle sizes at the temperature of 303.15 K were conducted. In addition, the pore structures of coals were investigated through N2 adsorption/desorption experiments at the low-temperature of 77 K for selected coals from the Junggar Basin of NW China, Qinshui Basin and Ordos Basin of north China. Moreover, the adsorption potential of methane on the surface of the coal matrix was calculated, the controlling factors of which were discussed. The obtained methane isothermal adsorption result shows that the Langmuir volume (VL) of coal is independent of the particle size, and decreases with the increase of moisture content, which decreases first and then increases when the coal rank increases. Combined with the pore structure by the N2 adsorption at 77 K, VL increases with the increase of pore surface area and pore volume of coal pores. Besides, the adsorption potential of all selected coals decreased with the increase of the methane adsorption volume, showing a negative relationship. The interesting phenomena was found that the surface adsorption potential of the coal matrix decreases with the increase of moisture content, and increases with the decrease of particle size at the same pressure. With the same adsorption amount, the adsorption potential on the surface of coal matrix decreases first, and then increases with the increase of coal rank, reaching a minimum at Ro,m of 1.38%, and enlarging with the increase of pore surface area and the pore volume of coal pores. These findings may have significant implications for discovering CBM accumulation areas and enhancing CBM recovery.