Development and Status of Spontaneous Coal Combustion Research in China

Spontaneous coal combustion is the result of physical and chemical interactions between coal and oxygen over a long period of time. It is a complex physical and chemical process that only occurs under certain conditions (such as low-temperature oxidation and heat accumulation), during which the temperature of the coal rises, eventually reaching the ignition point. It is also a common cause of major disasters in coal mines, as it threatens mine safety, coal production, and coal applications. In order to deeply grasp the research and development status of coal spontaneous combustion in China and point out the direction for future research, firstly, this paper introduces the energy status of China's coal resources, then expounds the development process and theory of coal spontaneous combustion, summarizes the characters and related problems of different spontaneous combustion test methods, and thirdly introduces the main institutions and personnel of coal spontaneous combustion and the corresponding results, finally this paper discusses the existing problems and future development direction of coal spontaneous combustion in China.