Experimental research on spontaneous combustion of coal oxidized by ultraviolet photocatalysis

To study the effect of ultraviolet light on the spontaneous combustion characteristics of coal, Lijiahao long-flame coal was selected for irradiation treatment with a self-made ultraviolet light irradiation device. After irradiation for 0, 1, 2, 4, and 8 h, thermogravimetric experiments and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy experiments were carried out. Compared with the raw coal, the dry cracking temperature, the ignition point temperature, and the maximum weight loss rate temperature of coal samples irradiated for 2 h by ultraviolet light were advanced to different degrees. The ignition activation energy was 0.62, 0.56, 0.59, and 0.91 times that of the raw coal after 1, 2, 4, and 8 h of ultraviolet light irradiation. The ultraviolet light irradiation accelerated the oxidation of –CH3, –CH2−, and –OH, resulting in enhanced coal activity. It shows that ultraviolet light irradiation has a promoting effect on the spontaneous combustion of coal, and the best promotion effect is observed when ultraviolet light is irradiated for 2 h. After 2 h of ultraviolet light irradiation, compared with the raw coal, the content of ether group in the coal structure decreased by 6.79%, the content of methyl and methylene in the benzene ring decreased by 8.68%, the content of C=O and carboxylic acid increased by 30.21%, the content of hydroxy ether and hydroxyl π hydrogen bond decreased by 14.94%, and the content of self-associating hydroxyl hydrogen bonds increased by 16.59%. It shows that ultraviolet light can destroy aromatic hydrocarbons in coal, catalyze the hydrolysis reaction of esters and ethers in coal to generate –OH and –COOH, and promote the oxidative spontaneous combustion of coal.