Methane diffusion in coal matrix considering heterogeneity of micromechanical properties by nanoindentation

The coal matrix exhibits significant heterogeneity at the micro-scale. In this study, a heterogeneous mechanical model of coal matrix from different coal ranks was constructed by using nanoindentation. Additionally, a fluid-solid coupling model was developed to consider matrix shrinkage and stress sensitivity, enabling the incorporation of porosity changes during methane diffusion. The methane concentration and matrix deformation characteristics in the simulation area at different times was obtained. The effects of matrix shrinkage and stress sensitivity on porosity changes and matrix deformation were compared. And the deformation of the matrix under different micromechanical properties was compared. The findings indicate that the nanoindentation method effectively characterizes the micromechanical heterogeneity of coal matrices. Furthermore, during the diffusion process, we observed an initial increase followed by a decrease in matrix deformation, with matrix shrinkage leading to more pronounced deformation. Notably, harder coal matrices exhibited reduced deformation. This study enhances the understanding of the dynamic changes in the matrix during coalbed methane extraction.