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Volume 13
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10.3390/pr13103113
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Article

Microscopic Mechanism of Moisture Affecting Methane Adsorption and Desorption in Coal by Low-Field NMR Relaxation

by
Qi Li
1,*,
Lingyun Zhang
1,
Jiaqing Cui
1,
Guorui Feng
1,2,
Zhiwei Zhai
1 and
Zhen Li
2
1
Department of Mining Engineering, Shanxi Institute of Energy, Jinzhong 030600, China
2
College of Mining Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Processes 2025, 13(10), 3113; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13103113
Submission received: 28 August 2025 / Revised: 22 September 2025 / Accepted: 27 September 2025 / Published: 28 September 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Processes in Mining Safety and Disaster Prevention: From Gas Extraction to Fire/Dust Control)
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Abstract

Moisture in coal seams significantly impacts methane adsorption/desorption, yet its microscopic mechanism in intact coal remains poorly characterized due to methodological limitations. This study introduces a novel approach that integrates low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) with volumetric analysis to quantify, in real-time, the effect of moisture on methane dynamics in intact coal samples. The results quantitatively demonstrate that micropores (relative specific surface area > 700 m2/cm3) are the primary adsorption sites, accounting for over 95% of the stored gas. Moisture drastically reduces the adsorption capacity (by ~72% at 0.29 MPa and ~57% at 1.83 MPa) and inhibits the desorption process, evidenced by a strong linear decrease in desorption ratio (DR) (R2 = 0.906) and a sharp exponential drop in the initial desorption rate (R2 = 0.999) with increasing moisture content. The findings provide a mechanistic understanding that is crucial for optimizing coalbed methane (CBM) recovery and enhancing strategies for outburst prevention and methane emission mitigation. The results reveal distinct adsorption and desorption features of intact coal compared with coal powder, which can be useful in total methane utilization and mining safety enhancement.
Keywords: moisture; LF-NMR; adsorption and desorption; coalbed methane moisture; LF-NMR; adsorption and desorption; coalbed methane
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MDPI and ACS Style

Li, Q.; Zhang, L.; Cui, J.; Feng, G.; Zhai, Z.; Li, Z. Microscopic Mechanism of Moisture Affecting Methane Adsorption and Desorption in Coal by Low-Field NMR Relaxation. Processes 2025, 13, 3113. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13103113

AMA Style

Li Q, Zhang L, Cui J, Feng G, Zhai Z, Li Z. Microscopic Mechanism of Moisture Affecting Methane Adsorption and Desorption in Coal by Low-Field NMR Relaxation. Processes. 2025; 13(10):3113. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13103113

Chicago/Turabian Style

Li, Qi, Lingyun Zhang, Jiaqing Cui, Guorui Feng, Zhiwei Zhai, and Zhen Li. 2025. "Microscopic Mechanism of Moisture Affecting Methane Adsorption and Desorption in Coal by Low-Field NMR Relaxation" Processes 13, no. 10: 3113. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13103113

APA Style

Li, Q., Zhang, L., Cui, J., Feng, G., Zhai, Z., & Li, Z. (2025). Microscopic Mechanism of Moisture Affecting Methane Adsorption and Desorption in Coal by Low-Field NMR Relaxation. Processes, 13(10), 3113. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13103113

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