Five coal samples
were prepared by deashing Shengli lignite in
distinct phases, which consisted of residual ash from spontaneous
combustion. The effects of removal and introduction of inherent minerals
on the water reabsorption performance of coal samples were systematically
investigated in three aspects: pore structure, oxygen-containing functional
groups, and lignite materials. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance
spectroscopy was employed to investigate the changes in the water
molecular adsorption tendency of coal samples with the variation in
the mineral content. The study elucidates that the hygroscopic performance
of the coal samples is significantly reduced due to the massive removal
of inherent minerals. However, the pore structure of the coal samples
after HCl/HF washing becomes more developed, and the oxygen-containing
functional groups on the surface are more exposed, leading to an increase
in the equilibrium adsorbed moisture content (EMC) of the coal samples.
The binding force between coal samples and water molecules is reduced
by the removal of the inherent minerals, which weakens the interaction
forces between lignite and water molecules. The oxygen-containing
functional groups on the surface of lignite interact with the residual
ash from spontaneous combustion to enhance the binding force between
lignite and surface water molecules, thus leading to the improved
tendency of lignite to adsorb water molecules. The formation of intermediate
complexes between minerals and oxygen-containing functional groups,
in particular, carboxyl functional groups, on the surface of lignite
enhances the acting force of polar sites, which improves the interaction
of lignite–water molecules.