Analysis of the Effect of Total Sulfur on Coal Loss due to Spontaneous Combustion at Stockpile 1, Air Laya Mine, PT Bukit Asam Tbk.

OTP RG Yehezkiel (Department of Mining Engineering, Universitas Sriwijaya, Indralaya, South Sumatera, Indonesia)
Maulana Yusuf (Department of Mining Engineering, Universitas Sriwijaya, Indralaya, South Sumatera, Indonesia)
Muhammad Rendana (Graduate Program of Environmental Science, Graduate School Universitas Sriwijaya, Palembang, South Sumatera, Indonesia)
Eddy Ibrahim (Department of Mining Engineering, Universitas Sriwijaya, Indralaya, South Sumatera, Indonesia)
Syamsul Komar (Department of Mining Engineering, Universitas Sriwijaya, Indralaya, South Sumatera, Indonesia)

ARMADA : Jurnal Penelitian Multidisiplin
Vol. 4 No. 8 (2026): ARMADA : Jurnal Penelitian Multidisplin, Agustus 2026

Coal is a strategic energy commodity in Indonesia, but spontaneous combustion at stockpiles often degrades coal quality and causes physical loss. Total sulfur content is believed to play a role in the exothermic oxidation process that triggers spontaneous combustion, yet studies directly linking total sulfur to coal loss remain limited. This study aims to analyze the influence of total sulfur content on coal loss caused by spontaneous combustion at Stockpile 1, Air Laya Mine, PT Bukit Asam Tbk. The research uses a descriptive quantitative method with a case study approach. Spontaneous combustion simulations were conducted on four coal types with different calorific values (4,200, 4,900, 5,300, and 7,100 kcal/kg) over 360 minutes, measuring temperature and mass every 30 minutes. Results show an inverse relationship between total sulfur content and mass loss percentage. Coal with the lowest sulfur content (0.12% adb) experienced the highest mass loss (90.12%), while coal with the highest sulfur content (1.05% adb) experienced the lowest mass loss (71.82%). Total moisture proved more dominant than total sulfur in controlling the rate of coal loss. These findings are important as a basis for developing more targeted spontaneous combustion mitigation strategies in the coal mining industry.