Pore Size Distribution Characteristics of High Rank Coal with Various Grain Sizes

Particle void filling effects (P-f) under low pressure and coal matrix compressibility effects (P-c) at high pressure should not be ignored when using mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) to study the pore size distribution of coal. In this study, two coal samples (FX and HF) collected from western Guizhou were crushed into three different grain sizes; then, the subsamples were analyzed by MIP and low-pressure nitrogen adsorption to study the pore size distribution characteristics. The micro- and transition pore volumes contribute to the total pore volume of the FX and HF subsamples. With decreasing subsample grain sizes, the macropore volume of FX subsamples tends to increase, while mesopore volume decreases; the volumes of micropores and transition pores first increase and then decrease. In regard to the HF subsamples, the volumes of macropores and mesopores do not reveal any distinctive changes, while the 40-60 mesh subsample contains the greatest volume of micropores and transition pores. Fractal theory was introduced to determine P-f and P-c. P-f barely changed as grain size decreased; it ranged from 0.1 to 0.15 MPa. However, P-c increased with reduced coal grain sizes. The coal matrix compressibility coefficients of the subsamples were calculated from the cumulative mercury volume curve, and the true pore volume was also modified. The modified volume of macropores does not change markedly, while the volumes of mesopores and transition pores decrease significantly, clearly indicating the coal matrix compressibility under high mercury injection pressure. The modified pore volume shows that the pore (<10,000 nm) still harbors fractal characteristics.