One of the early findings in the Experimental Mine demonstrated that coal dust by itself was capable of propagating an explosion even in the absence of any methane gas.

This demonstration was contrary to the old belief widely held at the time that coal dust could not explode without gas.

This view had led to the very dangerous and widespread practice of using loose coal dust in mines to pack explosives in boreholes, which had cost many thousands of lives.

[2][3][4] By 1999 the complex made the transition to lab and office space as part of the National Energy Technology Laboratory network throughout the United States.

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