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Modes of occurrence of minerals in the Carboniferous coals from the Wuda Coalfield, northern China: with an emphasis on apatite formation

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Abstract

The mineralogical compositions of the Nos. 9 and 13 coals, which are medium-volatile bituminous coals in rank, from the Wuda Coalfield at the northwestern margin of the Ordos Basin in northern China, were investigated by optical microscopy, field emission-scanning electron microscopy in conjunction with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDX), and X-ray powder diffraction techniques. The minerals in the Wuda coals are mainly represented by quartz, kaolinite, illite, pyrite, marcasite, apatite, dolomite, and ankerite, with trace amounts of anatase, calcite, boehmite, jarosite, gibbsite, anhydrite, and bassanite in some samples. The rod-like pyritized bacteria have been identified with SEM-EDX in Wuda coals. Moreover, the slightly reducing and alkaline environment in the original peat swamp favored bacterial action and propagation. The average concentrations of P2O5 in the Nos. 9 and 13 coals are 0.47 and 0.18 %, respectively. Phosphorus is not uniformly distributed within the Wuda coal seam. The maximum content of apatite in Wuda coals in certain horizon can reach up to 91.4 % (on an organic matter-free basis), corresponding to the fluorine and P2O5 concentrations of 2803 μg/g and 5.96 %. The high proportion of fluorine and P2O5 in the Wuda coals is mainly due to the authigenic apatite. The phosphorus in Wuda coals was probably derived mainly from phospho-proteins in the organic matter of the original peat deposits.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Key Basic Research Program of China (No. 2014CB238902) and Scientific Research Starting Foundation of Hebei GEO University (Nos. BQ201611 and BQ201613). The authors wish to thank Jianpeng Wei for his great support during the sample analysis. Special thanks are given to anonymous reviewers for their useful suggestions and comments, which greatly improved the paper quality.

Author contributions

Jian Kang designed the overall experimental strategy and performed microscopic experiments and XRD determination. Xiao Li observed these samples using SEM-EDX and gave extensive suggestions on data analyses and interpretation, as well as on the English language editing of the paper.

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  1. State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing, China

    Jian Kang & Xiao Li

  2. College of Resources, Hebei GEO University, Shijiazhuang, 050031, China

    Jian Kang

  3. Experimental Practising and Teaching Center, Hebei GEO University, Shijiazhuang, 050031, China

    Xiao Li

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Kang, J., Li, X. Modes of occurrence of minerals in the Carboniferous coals from the Wuda Coalfield, northern China: with an emphasis on apatite formation. Arab J Geosci 9, 606 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-016-2645-x

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