Wei Fu, Jianhong Kang, Wenxu Liang, Pengjiang Deng
Filling and sealing ventilation leakage are critical strategies for preventing coal spontaneous combustion. Based on the essential conditions for coal self-heating and ignition, this paper comprehensively reviews the research progress, fire-suppression mechanisms, and application limitations of currently used colloidal fire-prevention materials. These materials are categorized into four types: inorganic gels, organic gels, organic/inorganic composite gels, and bioinspired self-adhesive gels. Their respective advantages, disadvantages, and applicabilities are thoroughly discussed. Focusing on bioinspired self-adhesive gels, this review elaborates on their design principles, performance regulation strategies, and potential applications under complex geological conditions. While most existing studies have centered on coal mines in China, the proposed material design philosophy and the integrated "inhibition-sealing-suffocation" fire-prevention system are also highly relevant to other major coal-producing countries, such as India, Australia, and the United States, which face similar challenges of coal fires. Future research should focus on material optimization, green synthesis, multitechnology integration, and intelligent implementation to promote the global engineering application and industrialization of these advanced gel materials.