Coal dust/air mixture explosions under weak ignition conditions have been studied in a horizontal experimental tube of diameter 199 mm and length 29.6 m. The experimental tube is closed at one end and open at the downstream end. An array of 40 equally spaced dust dispersion units was used to disperse coal dust particles into the experimental tube. The coal dust/air mixture was ignited by an electric spark. A constant-temperature hot-wire anemometer was used to measure the gas velocity during the dispersion process. Kistler piezoelectric pressure sensors were used to measure the propagation of the pressure wave during the explosion process. The maximum overpressure of the coal dust explosion under the weak ignition conditions in the tube was 70 kPa and the propagation velocity of the pressure wave along the tube was approximately 370 m/s. The minimum concentration for obtaining a coal dust explosion that propagated along the tube was 120 g/m(3). The suppressing effects on the coal dust explosion of two different kinds of suppressing agents have been studied. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.