🔍 Key Concepts

• Spontaneous heating of coal cargoes in bulk carriers • Effect of moisture (wet vs. dry coal) on self‑heating • Difference in behavior between freshly mined (worked) coal vs. weathered coal

💭 Think About

• Think about what conditions inside a cargo hold would trap heat and gases and make a coal cargo more likely to self‑heat. • Consider whether coal that is wet or coal that is dry would allow more air circulation and oxidation through the cargo. • Ask yourself which type of coal—freshly mined or weathered and aged—still has more reactive material that can oxidize and generate heat.

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify which factor increases oxidation and heat build‑up: moisture, age of coal, or gas absorption. • Check standard references on coal cargo safety for how long the risk of spontaneous combustion remains after loading—does it drop quickly or remain for a long time? • Confirm whether weathered coal is considered more or less reactive (and therefore more or less dangerous) than freshly mined coal.