Abstract |
The report gives results of a study of the variability and regional distribution of chemical elements and mineral impurities in Herrin and Springfield coals--the two principal coal beds mined in the Illinois Basin Coal Field. Analytical determinations were made for 67 elements and related chemical parameters and for 8 mineralogical components in 102 newly collected samples. The resulting data were combined with data previously obtained for 128 other samples. The greatest variation of elemental concentrations in the Herrin coal, found in benches in vertical sections through the seam, is due to changes in the mineral composition of the respective benches. Metals of environmental concern decrease in relative variability (standard deviation/mean) in the following order: Cd, Zn, As, Pb, and Sb. Wasability tests confirm that elements associated with the mineral matter can be more easily removed from the coal than can organic-associated elements. |