Influence of fractal pores on the oxidation behavior of brown coal

We show that both chemical and physical changes induced in Victorian brown coal through thermal processing in the presence of a range of gases has a p rofound effect on its oxidation behavior. In particular, the appearance of a low-temperature DTA peak which is believed to be related to the propensit y of the coal to spontaneously combust is strongly correlated with the exte nt of the pore surface as determined by the fractal surface measure obtaine d from small-angle X-ray scattering measurements.