ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A GENERAL METHOD FOR FORECASTING THE DANGEROUS PROPERTIES OF COAL SEAMS

Purpose: to establish a quantitative effect on the dust-generating ability of mine layers of the degree of metamorphic transformations of fossil coals, mining-geological and mining conditions of mining operations and to provide proposals for the development of a general methodology for predicting other hazardous properties of mine layers. Methodology: research is based on the experience of using regulatory documents and analysis of the results of experimental and calculated data on dust formation of fine fractions for various observation conditions. Results: based on the analysis of statistical models of shallow and steeply dipping mine layers by groups of their dustiness, the effect of specific dust release, dust content in broken coal, moisture and thickness of the seams was established. Of all the possible factors that determine the specific dust release, the main ones are the design features of mining machines. The yield of small grades when tested by the falling weight method can serve as an indicator of the strength of coal. The use of such methods eliminates the errors caused by determining the degree of coal change during the transition from its actual destruction by a coal mining machine to the reference mode. The use of carbon content as one of the main indicators of the degree of metamorphism makes it possible to analyze the level of influence of both the sum of the remaining main components of the organic mass (hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur, oxygen) and their separate influence. In order to bring the state of coal as close as possible to production conditions, it is necessary to additionally take into account moisture, mineral inclusions and their composition. The petrographic composition and some physical and mechanical properties are reliably characterized by the vitrinite reflectance index. The extreme limits of influence on dust formation of the design features of mass-produced combines differ by 43.4 times. The influence of metamorphic transformations at the extreme limits of the yield of the 1-0 mm class when testing coals in a pile driver is estimated by a difference of 5.6 times. The release of volatile substances taken as the main indicator of the degree of metamorphism in the normative base for the safe conduct of mining operations does not unambiguously characterize the gradation of mine layers according to their dustiness groups. The thickness of the mines being developed and the angles of occurrence do not determine their tendency to dust formation, but are the main criteria for choosing mining equipment for crushing coal in the massif. The general methodology for predicting the hazardous properties of coal mine layers, using the example of their dust-forming ability, should take into account the influence of factors of three blocks – metamorphic transformations, mining and geological and mining technical conditions. Scientific novelty: for the first time, a quantitative assessment of the effect on the dust-generating capacity of mine layers of a combination of factors of metamorphic transformation of fossil coals, mining-geological and mining-technical conditions of mining operations has been established. Practical value: the results obtained make it possible to substantiate and develop a general methodology for predicting the hazardous properties of mine layers, which will contribute to improving the regulatory framework for the safe conduct of mining operations.