Microstructural relation of macerals with mineral matter in coals from Ib valley and Umaria, Son-Mahanadi basin, India

Vivek Mishra,K N Singh

doi:10.1007/s40789-017-0169-y

Abstract

Coal petrology provides significant inputs for the industrial utilisation of coal and for broad understanding the coal formation and diagenesis. The present paper entails the results of the investigations carried out on the selected coal samples, from Ib valley and Umaria coalfield, using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to study the surface microstructures and minerals present in them and the relationship of the finely dispersed mineral matter with the organic constituents. This would further help in evaluating the distribution and chemical character of the mineral matter occurring within the maceral types. Ib valley and Umaria coals are typical Indian (Lower Gondwana) non-coking coals and only scanty data is available on SEM study of these coals. Under SEM examination, it manifests that, the mineral matters of these coal occur as deep intergrowth, massive impregnation, superficial mounting, filling and depletion of micropores, mechanical cavity filling and fusinitic cavity filling.

Highlights

Coal is an organic biological rock (Xie 2015), formed from dead plant remains that accumulated to a certain thickness in a basin and was subsequently covered by the sediments through physical, chemical, and biological processes in an appropriate geological environment over a long geological time
The present paper entails the results of the investigations carried out on the selected coal samples, from Ib valley and Umaria coalfield, using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to study the surface microstructures and minerals present in them and the relationship of the finely dispersed mineral matter with the organic constituents
Ib valley and Umaria coals are typical Indian (Lower Gondwana) non-coking coals and only scanty data is available on SEM study of these coals

Summary

Introduction

Coal is an organic biological rock (Xie 2015), formed from dead plant remains that accumulated to a certain thickness in a basin and was subsequently covered by the sediments through physical, chemical, and biological processes in an appropriate geological environment over a long geological time. Contains organic matter and mineral matters in variable quantities. The heterogeneity in coal has the prime importance in the structural characterisation of coal (Thomas 1986). Its heterogeneity at the macroscopic level is reflected as banded structures as. The use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), offers great opportunity for the study of microstructural features of coal and coal products (Singh et al 1987; Singh 1989; Singh and Singh 1990, 1995). Finkelman and Stanton (1978) suggest SEM as a brilliant tool for determining the maceral content and amounts of elements and minerals in the maceral. The scanning electron microscope can only deliver qualitative data. Computer-controlled advanced SEM is available through which qualitative as well as quantitative

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Conclusion