Petrographic and physical properties of coal and rock samples

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987 · U.S. Geol. Surv., Prof. Pap.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5369176

Stanton, R W; Minkin, J A; Moore, T A

Based on composition and megascopic description, 26 core samples of the Vermillion Creek coal bed in the Eocene Niland Tongue of the Wasatch Formation from Sweetwater County, Wyoming, were grouped into facies which were correlated between cores. The Vermillion Creek coal samples average 81% vitrinite, 7% exinite, 1% inertinite, and 11% mineral matter on a whole-coal, volume-percent basis. The average organic sulfur content of the bulk coal samples was 4.3 weight percent, which was confirmed by electron microprobe analysis of coal macerals. Variation in the true density of the coal samples was determined to be primarily a function of ash content. The average ash content of 15 weight percent corresponds to an average density of approximately 1.47 g/cm/sup 3/. It is inferred that the ancestral Vermillion Creek peat was deposited in a lacustrine environment. Interstitial water must have been above neutral pH and must have contained concentrations of carbonate and reducible sulfate ions, as shown by interbedded microconcretions of calcite and by high organic sulfur (average 4.5 weight percent) and pyritic sulfur (average 1.84 weight percent) contents of the coal samples.

• OSTI ID: 5369176
• Journal Information: U.S. Geol. Surv., Prof. Pap.; (United States), Journal Name: U.S. Geol. Surv., Prof. Pap.; (United States) Vol. 75:1314-F; ISSN XGPPA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010600* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Properties & Composition
ASH CONTENT
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
COAL
COAL DEPOSITS
DENSITY
DRILL CORES
ELECTRON MICROPROBE ANALYSIS
ENERGY SOURCES
EXINITE
FEDERAL REGION VIII
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
HARDNESS
INERTINITE
IRON COMPOUNDS
IRON SULFIDES
MACERALS
MATERIALS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
MICROANALYSIS
MINERAL RESOURCES
MINERALS
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
PETROGRAPHY
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PYRITE
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SILTSTONES
SULFIDE MINERALS
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR CONTENT
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
USA
VITRINITE
WASATCH FORMATION
WYOMING