Role of inherent water in low-temperature oxidation of coal

The role of water content in coal oxidation was studied using an isothermal flow reactor at atmospheric pressure and temperatures below 100°C. Transient rates of consumption of oxygen and production of CO 2 and CO were measured during oxidation experiments, by means of an online dual-column micro gas chromatograph and an oxygen analyzer. Experiments were carried out with a bituminous coal at three levels of initial water content, i.e., 0.8, 2.0, and 3.0%. Comparisons of the rates of production of carbon oxides during the oxidation experiments indicated that inherent water plays a roleinchemicalreactions occurring during coal oxidation. It was also found that the rateof oxygen consumption decreases with increasing water content of a sample. The current observations suggest that inherent water present in coal pores may react with carbonyl species to form carboxyl species during the oxidation process.