Characteristics of Spontaneous Combustion of Anthracite in Vietnamese Coal Mines

Abstract

Including Vietnamese anthracite coal mines, it had been said that anthracite coal mine hardly starts spontaneous combustion1); however, at some of underground anthracite coal mines of Vietnam, several outbreaks of spontaneous combustion have been reported since 2004. The authors have been involved into site investigation, countermeasures as well as analysis of the data of those anthracite coal mines and one sub-bituminous coal mine in northern part of Vietnam. In this paper, special characteristics of spontaneous combustion of anthracite coal mines and a sub-bituminous coal mine and site counter measures are discussed. Indication gasses of spontaneous combustion of anthracite might be limited into only CO and H2 gasses in contrast with the cases of spontaneous combustion of bituminous, which generate many kinds of hydrocarbon gasses. From the view point of prevention of spontaneous combustion, problems of site mining conditions are also discussed.

Keywords

• spontaneous combustion
• anthracite
• coal mine
• vietnam
• indication gasses