Investigation of the mechanics of mine acid formation in underground coal mine drainage. Open file report (interim) May 78-Dec 79

Technical Report · Sat Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:5787202

Walsh, F

This study investigates the kinetics and the mechanics of the reactions that produce acid in coal mine drainage using fresh mine face samples from five Appalachian coal mines. The results of the study show that pyrite weathering is based on oxidation in the presence of water where the oxidants can be either ferric iron or oxygen. Iron bacteria, especially T. ferrooxidans, catalyze the rate of pyrite weathering by a factor of 3. An increase in initial iron concentration in a system that models the mine environment acts to inhibit bacterial catalysis of pyrite weathering.

• Research Organization: ECO, Inc., Cambridge, MA (USA); Bureau of Mines, Washington, DC (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5787202
• Report Number(s): PB-81-179418
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
012000 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Mining
ACID MINE DRAINAGE
BACTERIA
CATALYSIS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COAL MINES
ELEMENTS
INHIBITION
IRON
IRON COMPOUNDS
IRON SULFIDES
KINETICS
METALS
MICROORGANISMS
MINERALS
MINES
MINING
ORES
OXIDATION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
PYRITE
PYRITES
REACTION KINETICS
SULFATES
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR ORES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
UNDERGROUND MINING
WATER POLLUTION
WEATHERING