摘要
One of the major safety issues in coal mining is heatings and the resultant spontaneous combustion in underground coal mines. CSIRO researchers have developed a number of polymer gels suitable for controlling beatings in coal mines. These gels were developed to meet strict selection criteria including easy preparation, no or low toxicity, controllable gelation time, adaptable to mine water chemistry, adjustable viscosity, relatively long gel life, thermally and chemically stable and low cost. The HPAM-Aluminum Citrate gel system was identified to be the most favourable gel system for fire suppression in under- ground coal mines. These gels can be applied to the areas undergoing coal heating or gas leakage at a controllable gelation time and impermeable gel barriers can be formed in the areas to block ingress of air.
