Pore structure response at different scales in coal to cyclical liquid nitrogen treatment and its impact on permeability and micromechanical properties

Abstract The methane in the coal seams of abandoned mines is a valuable natural gas resource. However, the ultra-low permeability of coal seams restricts the extraction of coalbed methane. The liquid nitrogen fracturing technology is a novel approach suitable for enhancing the permeability of coal seams in abandoned mines. The ultra-low temperature could potentially facilitate the growth and propagation of pores and fractures in coal seams. In this study, we observed inconsistent alterations in coal properties measured by multiple instruments at different scales, whether in dry or wet coal specimens. This suggests that the mechanisms influencing the pore structure due to LN 2 treatment differ across various scales in dry and wet coal specimens. For dry specimens, heterogeneous thermal deformation and freezing shrinkage exhibited opposing effects during LN 2 treatment. Thermal stress-induced micro-fractures might counteract the freezing contraction of micropores in coal matrices, preventing a significant decrease in coal macropores and fractures. In wet specimens, the effects of LN 2 treatment on wet coal specimens were predominantly controlled by frost heaving. However, due to low water saturation, LN 2 treatment had negligible effects on coal micropores, even in the presence of local frost heaving. In field applications, water migration from smaller to larger pores could further diminish the impact of LN 2 treatment on micropores.