A Bibliometric Review of Chinese Research on Coal Spontaneous Combustion Inhibitors in Years 1990–2025

To better understand the research status and development trends of coal spontaneous combustion inhibitors in China, this study uses CiteSpace to conduct a bibliometric analysis of relevant literature from the CNKI database (1990–2025). The analysis covers publication trends, institutional collaboration, and keyword co-occurrence. The findings reveal four developmental stages: initial exploration (1990–2005), steady growth (2006–2014), rapid expansion (2015–2019), and maturation with green transformation (2020–2025). Coal Mine Safety (published by CCTEG Shenyang Research Institute), Coal Technology (published by Harbin Coal Mining Machinery Research Institute), Coal Science and Technology (published by China Coal Research Institute), and Mining Safety and Environmental Protection (published by CCTEG Chongqing Research Institute) were the principal publication venues. By full-count publication output, the leading authors were Wang Fusheng (North China University of Science and Technology), Ma Li (Xi’an University of Science and Technology), and Lu Wei (Anhui University of Science and Technology). Institutional activity was concentrated in northern and northwestern China, although cross-institutional collaboration remained limited. However, inter-institutional cooperation and exchange remain insufficient. “Inhibitor”, “coal spontaneous combustion”, and “inhibition efficiency” were the most frequent keywords. Current research frontiers include composite inhibition mechanisms, green and long-term inhibition, and targeted intelligent release. Traditional halogen salt inhibitors suffer from limitations such as easy dissipation and a short effective lifespan, while new technologies such as composite synergistic and intelligent responsive inhibitors are not yet mature. As coal mining moves toward greener and more intelligent practices, future research should focus on integrating inhibition technology with sustainable concepts, and on bridging theoretical mechanism studies with engineering applications. Additionally, technologies such as the Internet of Things and automated control should be leveraged to enhance the efficient application of inhibitors and ensure safe production.