Abstract:
Coal-based solid waste backfill mining is recognized as a key technology for achieving green coal mining and sustainable mine development, aligning with the industrial strategic direction of green, intelligent, clean, efficient, and low-carbon coal utilization, along with the fundamental requirements of new era development concepts. A systematic review is aimed to be conducted on the development trajectory of coal-based solid waste backfilling mining technology, and a comprehensive summary is made of its research progress and large-scale application pathways. A bibliometric analysis was conducted to identify research hotspots, and the technological evolution and classification system were systematically outlined. Furthermore, the application status of 164 mines across China (including both implemented and planned projects) was investigated. Finally, an “economic-environmental-social” comprehensive benefit evaluation system was constructed and validated through case studies. Bibliometric analysis reveals a rapid increase in the number of publications in this field since 2018, reflecting its emergence as a research hotspot driven by green mining policies and engineering demands. Specifically, over a hundred years of evolution has led to the formation of a diversified technological system encompassing solid, high-water-content, cemented, and slurry methods, which is now transitioning from mechanization and automation toward intelligence. These technologies can be classified multidimensionally according to the power source, target area, materials used, and working face layout, thereby enabling adaptation to a wide range of geological and engineering conditions. Survey data indicate that the application of the technology exhibits clear regional adaptation: operations in North and East China focusing on “resource substitution” primarily gangue reduction and subsidence control, while those in the ecologically vulnerable Northwest and Southwest prioritize “environmental remediation” and actively pioneer synergistic “backfill + clean energy” models. Comprehensive benefit evaluation confirms that this technology can simultaneously achieve multiple benefits, including large-scale solid waste disposal, liberation of pressed coal resources, and carbon emission reduction. Notwithstanding these substantial benefits, barriers related to cost, technical reliability, and policy support hinder its widespread replication. Ultimately, the aim is to bridge this gap by advancing low-cost cementitious materials, smart pipeline systems, and market oriented policies, thereby charting a viable pathway for the green and low carbon transformation of the coal industry.