The unacceptably high final moisture content of especially fine coal after mining and processing is one of the major reasons that this resource is not extensively used in subsequent power generation, combustion or other conversion processes. Some coal products, like export coal, are also usually stored and transported for fairly long times, during which it is subjected to a variety of environmental conditions, like temperature and humidity. To understand the mechanisms by which moisture is attracted and held on and within fine coal particles, further information is needed regarding the processes occurring at the coal surface. In order to determine the correlation between physical coal properties and its moisture adsorption and desorption characteristics, a series of sorption experiments were conducted on various coal samples under climatically controlled conditions. Equilibrium data was collected while changing the temperature and humidity of the environment. This data was correlated to coal properties such as particle size, porosity, maceral composition and ash content.
展开▼
