Micro-structural evolution and their effects on physical properties in different types of tectonically deformed coals

The macromolecular structure of tectonically deformed coals(TDC)may be determined by the deformation mechanisms of coal.Alterations of the macromolecular structure change the pore structure of TDC and thereby impact physical properties such as porosity and permeability.This study focuses on structure and properties of TDC from the Huaibei and Huainan coal mining areas of southern North China.Relationships between the macromolecular structure and the pore structure of TDC were analyzed using techniques such as X-ray diffraction,high-resolution transmission electron microcopy,and the low-temperature nitrogen adsorption.The results indicated that the directional stress condition can cause the arrangement of basic structural units(BSU)more serious and closer.And,the orientation is stronger in ductile deformed coal than in brittle deformed coal.Tectonic deformation directly influences the macromolecular structure of coal and consequently results in dynamic metamorphism.Because the size of BSU in brittle deformed coal increases more slowly than in ductile deformed coal,frictional heating and stress-chemistry of shearing areas might play a more important role,locally altering coal structure under stress,in brittle deformed coal.Strain energy is more significant in increasing the ductile deformation of coal.Furthermore,mesopores account for larger percentage of the nano-scale pore volume in brittle deformed coals,while mesopores volume in ductile deformed coal diminishes rapidly along with an increase in the proportion of micropores and sub-micropores.This research also approved that the deformations of macromolecular structures change nano-scale pore structures,which are very important for gas adsorption and pervasion space for gas.Therefore,the exploration and development potential of coal bed methane is promising for reservoirs that are subjected to a certain degree of brittle deformation(such as schistose structure coal,mortar structure coal and cataclastic structure coal).It also holds promise for TDC resulting from wrinkle structure coal of low ductile deformation and later superimposed by brittle deformation.Other kinds of TDC suffering from strong brittle-ductile and ductile deformation,such as scale structure coal and mylonitic structure coal,are difficult problems to resolve.

Geochemistry of Mercury in the Permian Tectonically Deformed Coals from Peigou Mine, Xinmi Coalfield, China

As the mercury emitted from coal combustion can lead to serious environmental issues, researchers pay more attention to the content, distribution and occurrence of mercury in coal. In this paper, the content, distribution, and occurrence of mercury in the Permian tectonically deformed coals from Peigou Mine, Xinmi coalfield, Henan Province were investigated. A total of 18 bench samples were taken from No.2-1 coals seam in Peigou Mine, including 15 coal bench samples, two roofs and one floor. The mercury concentration, mineral composition, and main inorganic element content of 18 samples were determined by DMA-80 direct mercury analyzer, XRD, and XRF respectively. The results show that the mercury content ranges from 0.047 ppm to 0.643 ppm, with an average of 0.244 ppm. Though the coal seam has turned into typical tectonically deformed coal by the strong tectonic destruction and plastic deformation, the vertical distribution of mercury has remarkable heterogeneity in coal seam section. By the analysis of correlation between mercury and the main inorganic elements and the mineral composition in coal, we infer that majority of mercury mainly relates to pyrite or kaolinite.

Study on the evolution of solid–liquid–gas in multi-scale pore methane in tectonic coal

The rich accumulation of methane(CH_(4))in tectonic coal layers poses a significant obstacle to the safe and efficient extraction of coal seams and coalbed methane.Tectonic coal samples from three geologically complex regions were selected,and the main results obtained by using a variety of research tools,such as physical tests,theoretical analyses,and numerical simulations,are as follows:22.4–62.5 nm is the joint segment of pore volume,and 26.7–100.7 nm is the joint segment of pore specific surface area.In the dynamic gas production process of tectonic coal pore structure,the adsorption method of methane molecules is“solid–liquid adsorption is the mainstay,and solid–gas adsorption coexists”.Methane stored in micropores with a pore size smaller than the jointed range is defined as solid-state pores.Pores within the jointed range,which transition from micropore filling to surface adsorption,are defined as gaseous pores.Pores outside the jointed range,where solid–liquid adsorption occurs,are defined as liquid pores.The evolution of pore structure affects the methane adsorption mode,which provides basic theoretical guidance for the development of coal seam resources.

Response of Macromolecular Structure to Deformation in Tectonically Deformed Coal

The structural evolution of tectonically deformed coals （TDC） with different deformational mechanisms and different deformational intensities are investigated in depth through X-ray diffraction （XRD） analysis on 31 samples of different metamorphic grades （R ： 0.7%-3.1%） collected from the Huaibei coalfield. The results indicated that there are different evolution characteristics between the ductile and brittle deformational coals with increasing of metamorphism and deformation. On the one hand, with the increase of metamorphism, the atomic plane spacing （d002） is decreasing at step velocity, the stacking of the BSU layer （Lc） is increasing at first and then decreasing, but the extension of the BSU layer （La） and the ratio of La/Lc are decreasing initially and then increasing. On the other hand, for the brittle deformational coal, d002 is increasing initially and then decreasing, which causes an inversion of the variation of Lc and La under the lower-middle or higher-middle metamorphism grade when the deformational intensity was increasing. In contrast, in the ductile deformational coals, d002 decreased initially and then increased, and the value of L~ decreased with the increase of deformational intensity. But the value of La increased under the lower-middle metamorphism grade and increased at first and then decreased under the higher-middle metamorphism grade. We conclude that the degradation and polycondensation of TDC macromolecular structure can be obviously impacted during the ductile deformational process, because the increase and accumulation of unit dislocation perhaps transforms the stress into strain energy. Meanwhile, the brittle deformation can transform the stress into frictional heat energy, and promote the metamorphism and degradation as well. It can be concluded that deformation is more important than metamorphism to the differential evolution of the ductile and brittle deformational coals.

Experimental study on the deformation behaviour,energy evolution law and failure mechanism of tectonic coal subjected to cyclic loads

Compared to intact coal,tectonic coal exhibits unique characteristics.The deformation behaviours under cyclic loading with different confining pressures and loading rates are monitored by MTS815 test system,and the mechanical and energy properties are analysed using experimental data.The results show that the stress-strain curve could be divided into four stages in a single cycle.The elastic strain and elastic energy density increase linearly with deviatoric stress and are proportional to the confining pressure and loading rate;irreversible strain and dissipated energy density increase exponentially with deviatoric stress,inversely proportional to the confining pressure and loading rate.The internal structure of tectonic coal is divided into three types,all of which are damaged under different deviatoric stress levels,thereby explaining the segmentation phenomenon of stress-strain curve of tectonic coal in the cyclic loading process.Tectonic coal exhibits nonlinear energy storage characteristics,which verifies why the tectonic coal is prone to coal and gas outburst from the principle of energy dissipation.In addition,the damage mechanism of tectonic coal is described from the point of energy distribution by introducing the concepts of crushing energy and friction energy.

Effect of an electrostatic field on gas adsorption and diffusion in tectonic coal

The characteristics of adsorption, desorption, and diffusion of gas in tectonic coal are important for the prediction of coal and gas outbursts. Three types of coal samples, of which both metamorphic grade and degree of damage is different, were selected from Tongchun, Qilin, and Pingdingshan mines. Using a series of experiments in an electrostatic field, we analyzed the characteristics of gas adsorption and diffusion in tectonic coal. We found that gas adsorption in coal conforms to the Langmuir equation in an electrostatic field. Both the depth of the adsorption potential well and the coal molecular electroneg- ativity increases under the action of an electrostatic field. A Joule heating effect was caused by changing the coal-gas system conductivity in an electrostatic field. The quantity of gas adsorbed and AP result from competition between the depth of the adsorption potential well, the coal molecular electronegativ- ity, and the Joule heating effect. △P peaks when the three factors control behavior equally. Compared with anthracite, the impact of the electrostatic field on the gas diffusion capacity of middle and high rank coals is greater. Compared with the original coal, the gas adsorption quantity,△P, and the gas diffusion capacity of tectonic coal are greater in an electrostatic field. In addition, the smaller the particle size of tectonic coal, the larger the△P.

Influence of combination forms of intact sub-layer and tectonically deformed sub-layer of coal on the gas drainage performance of boreholes: a numerical study

High concentration and large flow flux of gas drainage from underground coal seams is the precondition of reducing emission and large-scale use of gas.However,the layered occurrence of coal seams with tectonically deformed sub-layers and intact sub-layers makes it difficult to effectively drain gas through commonly designed boreholes.In this study,the gas drainage performance in coal seams with different combinations of tectonically deformed sub-layers and intact sub-layers was numerically analyzed.The analysis results show that the gas drainage curve changes from a single-stage line to a dual-stage curve as the permeability ratios of Zone II(kII)and Zone I(kI)increase,raising the difficulty in gas drainage.Furthermore,a dual-system pressure decay model based on the first-order kinetic model was developed to describe the dual-stage characteristics of pressure decay curves with different permeability ratios.In the end,the simulation results were verified with reference to in-situ drainage data from literature.The research results are helpful for mines,especially those with layered coal seams comprising tectonically deformed sub-layers and intact sub-layers,to choose appropriate gas drainage methods and develop the original drainage designs for achieving better gas drainage performance.

Stability control of surrounding rocks for a coal roadway in a deep tectonic region

In order to effectively control the deformation and failure of surrounding rocks in a coal roadway in a deep tectonic region, the deformation and failure mechanism and stability control mechanism were studied. With such methods as numerical simulation and field testing, the distribution law of the displacement, stress and plastic zone in the surrounding rocks was analyzed. The deformation and failure mechanisms of coal roadways in deep tectonic areas were revealed: under high tectonic stress, two sides will slide along the roof or floor; while the plastic zone of the two sides will extend along the roof or floor,leading to more serious deformation and failure in the corner of two sides and the bolt supporting the corners is readily cut off by the shear force or tension force. Aimed at controlling the large slippage deformation of the two sides, serious deformation and failure in the corners of the two sides and massive bolt breakage, a ‘‘controlling and yielding coupling support'' control technology is proposed. Firstly, bolts which do not pass through the bedding plane should be used in the corners of the roadway, allowing the two sides to have some degree of sliding to achieve the purpose of ‘‘yielding'' support, and which avoid breakage of the bolts in the corner. After yielding support, bolts in the corner of the roadway and which pass through the bedding plane should be used to control the deformation and failure of the coal in the corner. ‘‘Controlling and yielding coupling support'' technology has been successfully applied in engineering practice, and the stability of deep coal roadway has been greatly improved.

Excess Coalbed Methane Production Mechanism in the Process of Coal Tectonic Deformation

Source and occurrence of Excess Coalbed Methane is a long-term concern research topic in Coal Geology and Structural Geology. Since it is essential to understand the outburst mechanism of coal gas, and to support the coalbed methane development projects as the theoretical basis. We found in the study that, huge imparity is behind the evolutionary trend on molecular structure and the mechanism of influence from different deformation. The thesis demonstrates its probable routes of gas evolution according to distinct deformation mechanisms of coal. In the role of brittle deformation mechanism, a rapidly formed advantage rupture surface along with sliding motion from which has worked on coal. As another result, mechanical energy has transformed into friction and kinetic energy during the process. Kinetic energy increases simultaneously, which brings some results, that the new generated gas molecule. While the chemical structure of coal remains in a steady-state and do not react easily an outburst with gas. Mechanical energy turns into strain energy through its ductile deformation mechanism. The dislocation or lamellar slip made disordered between the constitutional units of aromatic rings and aromatic lamellas, as soon as secondary structural defects created. On another hand, molecular motion accelerates and splits off the small molecular on the side chain, due to the dissociation of aromatic nucleus;CH4 gas molecular was generated and placed in the secondary structural defect of coal, along with a great deal of strain energy in non-steady-state. By breaking away the balance maintaining terms, huge strain energy releases suddenly, small moleculars are free from the secondary structure defect, react outburst with gas. Furthermore to extend the discussion of the conventional physical ideas on coal absorb gas, according to the phenomenon of exceeded CBM, the gas molecular has a significant chance existing in a low bond energy of chemical bonds of coal structure.

Deformation energy of tectonic coal under hydrostatic conditions:A new calculation model based on critical state theory

The deformation energy(Wd)of soil-like tectonic coal is crucial for investigating the mechanism of coal and gas outbursts.Tectonic coal has a significant nonlinear constitutive relationship,which makes traditional elastic-based models for computing Wdunsuitable.Inspired by critical state soil mechanics,this study theoretically established a new calculation model of Wdsuitable for the coal with nonlinear deformation characteristics.In the new model,the relationship between energy and stress no longer follows the square law(observed in traditional linear elastic models)but exhibits a power function,with the theoretical value of the power exponent ranging between 1 and 2.Hydrostatic cyclic loading and unloading experiments were conducted on four groups of tectonic coal samples and one group of intact coal samples.The results indicated that the relationship between Wdand stress for both intact and tectonic coal follows a power law.The exponents for intact and tectonic coal are close to 2 and 1,respectively.The stress-strain curve of intact coal exhibits small deformation and linear characteristics,whereas the stress-strain curves of tectonic coal show large deformation and nonlinear characteristics.The study specifically investigates the role of coal viscosity in the cyclic loading/unloading process.The downward bending in the unloading curves can be attributed to the time-dependent characteristics of coal,particularly its viscoelastic behavior.Based on experimental statistics,the calculation model of Wdwas further simplified.The simplified model involves only one unknown parameter,which is the power exponent between Wdand stress.The measured Wdof the coal samples increases with the number of load cycles.This phenomenon is attributed to coal's viscoelastic deformation.Within the same stress,the Wdof tectonic coal is an order of magnitude greater than that of intact coal.The calculation model of Wdproposed in this paper provides a new tool for studying the energy principle of coal and gas outbursts.

Structure and coalbed methane occurrence in tectonically deformed coals

Research on structure of tectonically deformed coals(TDC) is a key issue in coal and gas outburst prevention and coalbed methane(CBM) exploitation.This paper presents a summary on the research progress in TDC's structural-genetic classification,tectonic strain influence on coal microstructure,coal porosity system,coal chemical structure and constituents,and their relationship with the excess coalbed methane.Previous studies suggested that tectonic deformation had significant influence on coal microstructure,coal super microstructure,and even chemical macromolecular structure.The main mechanisms of coal deformation are the tectonic stress degradation and polycondensation metamorphism(dynamical metamorphism).Besides,under different deformation mechanisms,the ultra-and micro-structure and chemical constituents of TDC presented distinct characteristics.Based on these achievements,we propose one possible evolutionary trend of TDC with different deformation mechanisms,and suggest that the coal and gas outburst in the TDC,especially in the mylonitic coals,may be not only controlled by geological structure,but also influenced by the tectonic stress degradation of ductile deformation.Therefore,further study on TDC should be focused on the controlling mechanism of deformation on structure and composition of coal,generation conditions and occurrence state of excess coalbed methane from deformation mechanism of coal.

Determination of indices and critical values of gas parameters of the first gas outburst in a coal seam of the Xieqiao Mine

Based on the important role in mine safety played by parameters of the first gas outburst, we propose a method of combining historic data, theoretical analysis and experimental research for the purpose of crit- ical values of gas parameters of the first gas outburst in a coal seam of the Xieqiao Mine. According to a characteristic analysis and a summary of the rules of coal and gas outbursts in the No.8 coal seam of a Hua- inan mine, we have investigated their effect on coal and gas outbursts in terms such as ground stress, gas, and coal structure. We have selected gas parameters and determined the critical values of each of the fol- lowing indices： gas content as 7.7 m^3/t, tectonic coal as 0.8 m thick, the absolute gas emission as 2 m3/min, the rate of change as 0.7 m3/min, the gas desorption index of a drilling chip KI as 0.26 mL/（g min^1/2） and the values of desorption indexes Ah2 as 200 Pa. From a verification of the production, the results indicate that application of each index and their critical values significantly improve the level of safety in the pro- duction process, relieve the burden upon the mine, save much labor and bring clear economic benefits.

Discussion of the indexes of nonoutburst coal seam upgrade and its corresponding critical values

In view of the measurement difficulties of indexes recommended by the 50Items Experience of Coal Mine Gas Prevention in the process of the nonoutburst coalseam upgrade, this paper took the No.8 coal seam of Huainan Mining Group as research object. Discussed the suitability of indexes and corresponding critical values, putforward method in determining the indexes and its critical values by analysis and investigation of the gas geological condition and the-spot tracking near position where anoutburst occurred combined with laboratory experiment, and established the indexesand its critical values of nonoutburst coal seam upgrade in No.8 coal seam of HuainanMining Group. The results show that it is suitable to take gas content and tectonic softcoal thickness easily to gain in routine production as primary upgrade indexes that itscritical values are 7.5 m^3/t and 0.8 m, respectively. In addition, takefvalue and Ap valueas auxiliary indexes.

Experimental study on creep mechanics characteristics of gassy under disturbance conditions

Creep mechanics characteristics of large scale tectonic coal was studied under gas draingae and disturbance conditions by using the new self-developed coal gas cou- pling three axial creep equipment.The results show that when σ_1 is smaller,σ_3 is larger, gas pressure and disturbance load are smaller,gassy coal has no disturbance to creep. When σ_3 is smaller,gas pressure and σ_1 are larger,disturbance load is constant,gassy coal has remarkable effects of disturbance to creep.The concepts of disturbance load sensitive domain and disturbance creep sensitive domain were put forward.Under same amplitude disturbance stress condition,blasting disturbance has a stronger influence on gassy coal deformation is related to frequency of disturbance load;gas drainage,blasting excavation and mining play an important role in coal-gas outbursting.The relationship of gassy coal creep and gas pressure gradient,the creep constitutive equation built with gas pressure gradient and disturbance load as independent variables within the framework of fluid-solid two phases coupling were established.

Geological modeling of coalbed methane reservoirs in the tectonically deformed coal seam group in the Dahebian block,western Guizhou,China

The widely spread Carboniferous-Permian coal seam group in southern China has great potential for coalbed methane resources,but the extensively developed tectonically deformed coal seriously restricts its development.Taking the Dahebian block in western Guizhou as the study area,the geological model of coalbed methane reservoirs in the tectonically deformed coal seam group was established,and the spatial distribution pattern of model parameters was clarified by clustering algorithms and factor analysis.The facies model suggests that the main coal body structures in Nos.1,4,and 7 coal seams are cataclastic coal and granulated coal,whereas the No.11 coal seam is dominated by granulated coal,which has larger thicknesses and spreads more continuously.The in situ permeability of primary undeformed coal,cataclastic coal,granulated coal,and mylonitized coal reservoirs are 0.333 mD,0.931 mD,0.146 mD,and 0.099 mD,respectively,according to the production performance analysis method.The property model constructed by facies-controlled modeling reveals that Nos.1,4,and 7 coal seams have a wider high-permeability area,but the gas content is lower;the high-permeability area in the No.11 coal seam is more limited,but the gas content is higher.The results of the self-organizing map neural network and K-means clustering indicate that the geological model can be divided into 6 clusters,the model parameter characteristics of the 6 clusters are summarized by data analysis in combination with 6 factors extracted by factor analysis,and the application of data analysis results in multi-layer coalbed methane co-development is presented.This study provides ideas for the geological modeling in the tectonically deformed coal seam group and its data analysis.

Controls on migration and aggregation for tectonically sensitive elements in tectonically deformed coal:An example from the Haizi mine, Huaibei coalfield, China

Tectonically deformed coal(TDC)develops because of the superimposed deformation and metamorphism of a coal seam by tectonic movements.The migration and accumulation of trace elements in TDC is largely in response to stress-strain conditions.To develop a law governing the migration and aggregation of sensitive elements and investigate the geological controls on TDC,coal samples from different deformation sequences were collected from the Haizi mine,in the Huaibei coalfield in Anhui Province,China,and the concentrations of 49 elements were determined by XRF and ICP-MS,and then microscopically analyzed.The results show that the distribution and morphology of minerals in coal is related to the deformation degree of TDC.The evolutionary process runs from orderly distribution of minerals in a weak brittle deformed coal to disordered distributions in ductile deformed coal.According to the elemental distribution characteristics in TDC,four types of element migration can be identified:stable,aggregate,declining,and undulate types,which are closely related to the deformation degree of TDC.Present data indicate that the overall distribution of rare earth elements(REE)does not change with metamorphism and deformation,but it shows obvious dynamic differentiation phenomena along with the deformation of TDC.Tectonic action after coal-formation,brittle or ductile deformation,and the metamorphic mechanism and its accompanying dynamic thermal effects are the main factors that influence the redistribution of elements in TDC.We conclude that tectonic movements provide the motivation and basis for the redistribution of elements and the paths and modes of element migration are controlled by brittle and ductile deformation metamorphic processes.The dynamic thermal effect has the most significant effect on coal metamorphism and tectonic-stress-accelerated element migration and accumulation.These factors then induce the tectonic-dynamic differentiation phenomenon of element migration.

Structural Controls on Coalbed Methane Reservoirs in Faer Coal Mine, Southwest China

Guizhou （贵州） Province, Southwest China, is rich in coalbed methane （CBM） resources, wherein its geological structure is complicated. We discuss the occurrence characteristics of CBM based on CBM borehole test data and geological setting. In combination with the analysis of the regional tectonics, macro-and micro-scopic geological structures and pore size distributions, the structural controls on CBM reservoirs were further discussed from the aspects involving tectonic evolution, structural features, and deformation of coal. The results show that the CBM enrichment was mainly controlled by the regional tectonic subsidence and weak structural deformation on coal reservoirs after coal formation. The Yangmeishu （杨梅树） syncline and topography are the main controlling factors to the current distribution pattern of CBM, which is higher in the north than the south and trending toward the NE direction. Normal faults and fractures can be divided into open, closed, and occluded types. The open type reduces both gas content and methane concentration of nearby coal seams. The closed type causes the decrease of gas content, while methane concentration is still high. The occluded type fail to reduces gas content, and even results in the enrichment of CBM in small areas near fault. Moderate brittle deformation can improve the pore structure and development of structural fracture of coal reservoir.Cataclastic structural coals with well-developed fractures and relatively uniformly distributed pore structures are common in the Faer （发耳） coal mine, which are favorable for the production of CBM.