Weathering Effects on the Structure and Thermal Behavior of Bituminous Coal

摘要

Effects of coal weathering have been known and studied for the last several decades. During the 1980's, after experiencing two oil shocks, hectic fundamental studies have accumulated important information on the structural changes of coal, and on the practical estimation of harmful impact by weathering. But, after the 1990's, the interest has dramatically diminished due to ample supply of other clean energy sources like natural gas. Recent increase of coal usage in many developing countries has prompted a renewed interest in coal weathering in terms of finding some practical means to understand it. This paper has summarized some portion of earlier results on the weathering effects of the coal structure, and the engineering means to gauge the degree of coal weathering, as well as some suggestions on the future direction.