A study of the initial stage of the low-temperature oxidation of coal is important, not only for the prevention for fires in coal industry, but also in reducing emissions of hazardous gases. A batch reactor was introduced and a series of simulated experiments of coal oxidation was carried out in this paper. The time-dependent rates of CO emission and oxygen consumption during oxidation experiments of coal samples with different particle size ranges were obtained simultaneously from the measurements of CO and O-2 concentration in the reactor. The experimental results show that the rate of CO emission presents three stages in the duration of coal oxidation. Based on the rates of oxygen consumption, the reaction order and reaction rate were obtained from the reaction rate equation. These results indicate that the reaction regime switches during coal oxidation in confined spaces. The initial decrease of reaction rate is due to the decrease of the active sites in coal. While the decrease of reaction rate in the following period of coal oxidation is attributed to the reaction-inhibition mechanism of oxidation products. And it is mainly represented by the chemisorption sequence of coal oxidation. The oxidative activity of coal can be restored when the oxidation products are evacuated. A mechanism of low-temperature oxidation of coal in confined spaces was also suggested. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.