Expansion Characteristics and Creep Test of New Curing Expansion Material for Gas Extraction Boreholes

In order to find the optimal expansion effect of a new curing expansion material so that it can better meet the requirements of the efficient sealing of drilled holes, the expansion and creep characteristics of the new curing expansion material were studied. Based on the creep results of graded loading, the Kelvin–Volgt model was selected to analyze its mechanical parameters, and a new “concentric ring” reinforcement sealing method was proposed. Numerical simulation was employed to analyze and discuss the reinforcement radius and depth of the “protective wall rock hole ring” in the “concentric ring” model, and on-site application experiments were carried out in a soft coal seam. The results show that the “concentric ring” reinforcement sealing method can effectively solve the problems of easy collapse and stress concentration instability in the sealing section of soft coal seams, ensuring long-term and efficient sealing of gas extraction boreholes in soft coal seams. When the diameter of the extraction drilling hole is 100 mm, the optimal reinforcement radius for the “protective wall rock hole ring” is 0.16–0.18 m. A reasonable reinforcement depth of the “protective wall rock hole ring” for drilling in soft coal seams is about 0.8–1 times the width of the roadway. In the on-site application process, experimental boreholes using “concentric ring” reinforcement sealing technology did not show any collapse phenomena, and the volume fraction of extracted gas remained above 30% for the first 30 days. Moreover, the gas volume fraction on the 30th and 60th days was 2.5 times and more than 3 times that of bag sealing boreholes using expanded cement, further proving that the sealing quality of boreholes using “concentric ring” reinforcement sealing is higher.