The effect of coal moisture content and composition upon methane/carbon dioxide mixed gas adsorption characteristics is investigated. Separation factors are used to quantify the relative adsorption of carbon dioxide and methane. Experimental data indicate that carbon dioxide separation factors vary slightly between coal lithotypes, but the effects of variable coal composition and moisture upon selective adsorption are difficult to isolate. Model predictions based upon single-component isotherms show that although some variability in carbon dioxide selectivity exists for different coal types, there is no clear relationship between coal composition and carbon dioxide selectivity. Model predictions also indicate that coal moisture decreases carbon dioxide selectivity. The ideal adsorbed solution (IAS) theory and the extended Langmuir model differ substantially in their ability to predict binary gas adsorption behaviour. Comparison of model predictions to experimental data demonstrates that IAS theory, in conjunction with the Dubinin-Astakhov single-component isotherm equations are more accurate for the prediction of mixed gas desorption isotherms collected in this study than the extended Langmuir. IAS predictions, however, are strongly dependent upon the choice of pure gas isotherm equation. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.