Mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of the No. 6 coal in the Tanggongta Mine, Inner Mongolia, China

Abstract

In this paper, the geochemical characteristics of the trace elements of the No. 6 coal seam from Tanggongta mine, Jungar Coalfield, were studied using the methods of an energydispersive X-ray spectrometer (SEM-EDX) analysis, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and X-ray fluorescence spectrometric (XRF) techniques. The content of sulfur ranges from 0.09% to 2.83% (1.09% on average). The ash is from 11.70% to 31.47% (20.72% on average), and the moisture is from 2.72% to 6.82% (4.72% on average). The main minerals are kaolinite, carbonate minerals and pyrite. Compared with the average values of Chinese coal, the contents of Ga, Cd, Tl, Li, Sr, and Ag are high. Compared with the values of world coal, Li and Sr are found at high levels. The distribution mode of the REE shows that LREE is concentrated, but HREE is relatively low. The Yinshan Oldland should be the most likely source of the coal’s Li. The bauxite of the Benxi formation could be another source of the coal’s Li in the NE Jungar Coalfield.