Suppression mechanisms of ammonium polyphosphate on methane/coal dust explosion: Based on flame characteristics, thermal pyrolysis and explosion residues

To explore the suppression mechanisms of ammonium polyphosphate (APP) on methane/coal dust explosion flame, the experiment tests of methane/coal dust explosion flame propagation under different mass fraction of APP were conducted in a vertical pipe. Using Simultaneous Thermal Analysis and Py-GC/MS to analyze the effects of APP on the thermal decomposition process and thermal pyrolysis products of coal dust. The chemical characterization of explosion residues was carried out by confocal Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Based on the apparent suppression ways of APP such as absorption of heat, reduction concentration of combustibles and adsorbent of free radicals, APP also limited the thermal decomposition process of coal dust and leaded to the reduction or even disappearance of some organic matters at coal dust pyrolysis. Noticeably, the investigation of explosion residues found that the carbonization effect of APP pyrolysis products and the activity reduction of functional groups (–CH3/–CH2 and –OH) which contribute to ignition of coal dust, these coupling effects made it difficult for coal dust to ignite, and thus the methane/coal dust compound explosion were suppressed significantly.