The effect of inorganic additives, when applied into a coal by ion-exchange, on low-temperature oxidation and self-heating of a Victorian brown coal is studied in this article. Acid-washed coal, and acid-washed coal ion-exchanged separately with seven additives, were prepared. Each of the samples was then tested in a win-mesh reactor to obtain its critical ambient temperature, above which thermal runaway occurs. The relative effectiveness of the additives is determined by comparing their critical ambient temperatures with that of the acid-washed coal. Magnesium acetate (Mg(Ac)(2)), calcium chloride (CaCl2), and sodium chloride (NaCl) were found to inhibit low-temperature oxidation, while copper acetate (Cu(Ac)(2)), potassium acetate (KAc), and sodium acetate (NaAc), promote the reaction. The effect of additive loading was also investigated for NaAc and Ca(Ac)(2). The effectiveness of NaAc to promote low-temperature oxidation is enhanced with an increase in its loading, while that of Ca(Ac)(2) remains unchanged with varying additive loading. Low-temperature oxidation kinetics were estimated by a transient energy balance and compared with the low-temperature oxidation and self-heating behaviour of the samples.