• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.61-69
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• 2018

Rare earth elements together with Y and Sc (REEs) are essential in the development of technology for clean and efficient use of energy. In recent years coal deposits have much attention and attracted as a promising alternative raw sources for rare earth elements, not only because the REEs concentrations in many coals or coal ashes are equal to or higher than those found in conventional types of REEs ores but also because of the world wide demand for REEs in recent years has been greater than supply. In the coal ashes, REEs are mainly associated with carbonates, silicates and aluminosilicates in ashes at 800 and $1100^{\circ}C$. These elements are known to be powerful environmental tracers in natural biogeochemical compartments. In this study, to reviewed the REEs originating and distribution patterns in coal ash samples from the bedrock and/or soil weathering that were entrapped by lichens and mosses was investigated. The REEs patterns of different organisms species allowed minor influence of the species to be highlighted compared to the regional lithology.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.613-624
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• 2014

The fractures in coal are the main migration and output channels of coalbed methane, directly influencing the permeability of the coal seams. It is of great significance to study the effect of fracture distribution in coals on the permeability of coal seam. The development rules of endogenetic and exogenetic fractures are different among various coal lithotypes. There is also difference in the fracture density for the same lithotype with different thicknesses. Through the observation and description of the macroscopic fractures in coal and the origin of fractures in coal, the effect of the coal lithotype and its thickness on fracture development in coal was discussed. It was found through the study that the density of fractures in vitrain band was the maximum for the same coal rank and thickness, followed by clarain band. There were few fractures developed in the durain band. However, the changes of fracture density in three types of bands presented different declining trends for low, medium and high coal rank. There were no fractures developed in the fusain. There were three variation patterns for the fracture densities at the same coal rank and coal lithotype: linear decrease, nonlinear decrease, and first decrease then remaining unchanged. However, the overall trend was that the fracture density decreased with the increase of thickness of coal band for the same coal rank and coal lithotype.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.161-172
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• 2023

Coal-fired power plants handle large quantities of coal, one of the most prominent NORM, and the coal ash produced after the coal is burned can be tens of times more radioactive than the coal. Workers in these industries may be exposed to internal exposure by inhalation of particles while handling NORM. This study evaluated the size, concentration, particle shape and density, and radioactivity concentrations of airborne suspended particles in the main processes of a coal-fired power plant. Finally, the internal radiation dose to workers from particle inhalation was evaluated. For this purpose, airborne particles were collected by size using a multi-stage particle collector to determine the size, shape, and concentration of particles. Samples of coal and coal ash were collected to measure the density and radioactivity of particles. The dose conversion factor and annual radionuclide inhalation amount were derived based on the characteristics of the particles. Finally, the internal radiation dose due to particle inhalation was evaluated. Overall, the internal radiation dose to workers in the main processes of coalfired power plants A and B ranged from 1.47×10^-5~1.12×10^-3 mSv y^-1. Due to the effect of dust generated during loading operations, the internal radiation dose of fly ash loading processes in both coal-fired power plants A and B was higher than that of other processes. In the case of workers in the coal storage yard at power plants A and B, the characteristic values such as particle size, airborne concentration, and working time were the same, but due to the difference in radioactivity concentration and density depending on the origin of the coal, the internal radiation dose by origin was different, and the highest was found when inhaling coal imported from Australia among the five origins. In addition, the main nuclide contributing the most to the internal radiation dose from the main processes in the coal-fired power plants was thorium due to differences in dose conversion factors. However, considering the external radiation dose of workers in coal-fired power plants presented in overseas research cases, the annual effective dose of workers in the main processes of power plants A and B does not exceed 1mSv y^-1, which is the dose limit for the general public notified by the Nuclear Safety Act. The results of this study can be utilized to identify the internal exposure levels of workers in domestic coal-fired power plants and will contribute to the establishment of a data base for a differential safety management system for NORM-handling industries in the future.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.80-88
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• 2010

In order to offer a better understanding of air pollution of China as well as East Asia we attempted to characterize the chemical properties of the raw coal materials mined in China and their combusted bottom ashes generated from coal fired power plant. To this end, we measured the chemical characteristics of individual bottom ashes and feed coal fragments collected at a coal fired power generator which was operated with the raw coal dug at a coal mine in China. The chemical properties of these two sample types were determined by a synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SR-XRF) microprobe method. Through an application of such technique, it was possible to draw the 2D elemental maps in and/or on raw coal fragments and fired bottom ashes. The pulverized fine pieces of feed coal mainly consisted of mineral components such as Fe, Ca, Ti, Ca, and Si, while Fe was detected as overwhelming majority. The elemental mass of combusted bottom ash shows strong enrichment of many elements that exist naturally in coal. There were significant variations in chemical properties of ash-to-ash and fragment-to-fragment. Although we were not able to clearly distinguish As and Pb peaks because of the folding in their X-ray energies, these two elements can be used as tracers of coal fire origin.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society for Energy Engineering kosee Conference
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• 1995.05a
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• pp.158-162
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• 1995

Synergistic effects of mixed solvents, especially with mixtures of CS$_2$ with electron donor solvents, in inducing desired structural changes in coals were studied by solvent swelling techniques in addition to differential scanning calorimetric analyses. Mixed solvents exhibit significant synergistic efficacy in swelling the coal structure of medium bituminous rank. This synergy effect appears to be physical origin that is closely related to matching solubility parameters. Since the swollen coal structure can be obtained by mixed solvents with CS$_2$ at room temperature instead of high temperature, many possible technological pathways for economical utilization of coal might be sought.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.163-174
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• 1998

To study the origin of organic matter in meteorite, terrestrial rocks which contain or-ganic compounds similar to the ones found in carbonaceous chondrites are studied and compared with Muchison meteorite. Hydrocarbon molecules were extracted by benzene and methanol from bituminous coal and oil shale and the extracts were partitioned into aliphatic, aromatic, and polar fractions by silica gel column chromatography. Carbon isotopic ratios in each fractions were analysed by GC-C-IRMS. Molec-ular compound identifications were carried by GC-MS Engine. Bituminous coal and oil shale show the organic compound composition similar to that of meteorite. Oil shale has a wide range of ${\delta}^{13}C,-20.1%_0~-54.4%_0$ compared to bituminous coal, $-25.2%_0~34.3%_0$. Delta values of several molecular compounds in two terrestrial samples are different. They show several distinct distributions in isotopic ratios compared to those of meteorite; Murchison meteorite has a range of ${\delta}^13C\;from\;-13%_0\;to\;+30%_0$. These results provide interpretation for the source and the formation condition of each rock, in particular alteration and migration processes of organic matter. Especially, they show an important clue whether some hydrocarbon molecules observed in meteorite are indigenous or not.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.16 no.1 s.49
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• pp.32-39
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• 2007

Coal pyrolysis processes vary with the origin and rank of coal. It is difficult to generalize the characteristics of coal pyrolysis reaction because the process consists of numerous reactions including pyrolysis, gasification, and combustion. To find out the optimum process condition it is necessary to determine the condition fur each coal from the smatter scale experiment. In this study pressurized ($2kg_{f}/cm^{2}$) fluidized bed, low temperature ($735{\sim}831^{\circ}C$) gasification using Kideco coal was performed. The reaction condition and product gas composition were determined from the variables including steam flow rate, coal feed rate and air flow rate. Optimum reaction condition was determined from the concentrations of $H_{2}$, and CO in the product gas. The ratio of air/coal was 4.45 and that of steam/coal was 0.21 respectively. The concentrations of CO and $H_{2}$ decreased with the increase of $CO_{2}$. It is important to control the feed rates of coal and steam because the reaction temperature rapidly increased when the combustion reaction dominates over the gasification reaction. The concentrations of CO and $H_{2}$ were 18%, 17% respectively from the continuous operating condition.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.3 s.49
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• pp.197-207
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• 2006

In the coal-bearing formations of the Janggi Group, which are reported as typical clastic sediments, several beds of volcaniclastic rocks are actually found in the Yeongil area. The coal-bearing formations generally exhibit alternating lithologic characteristics of pyroclastic and epiclastic sedimentary facies. Tuff and tuffaceous sandstone rich in pumice fragments are characteristic in the coal-bearing fermations. Diagenetic minerals found in the pyroclastic rocks of the upper and lower coal-bearing formations are montmorillonite, clinoptilolite, opal-CT, and quartz. Several tuffaceous beds correspond to the low-grade ores of zeolites and bentonite, and moreover, these ores mostly occur as thin beds less than 1 m in thickness. Thus, the potential of altered tuffaceous rocks as the resources typical of zeolite and bentonite seems to be low. However, based on mineral composition and CEC determinations, it can be evaluated that these tuffaceous rocks mostly have the promising potential for utilization as the absorbent-functional mineral resources such as acid clays, if these low-grade ores plus adjacent tuffaceous rocks are collectively exploited.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.689-698
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• 1996

The coal-bearing metapelites from the Hoenam area are interbedded within the Ogcheon Supergroup, which are composed mainly of graphite, quartz, muscovite and associated with trace amount of biotite, chlorite, pyrite, rutile and barite. Although the formation was mined for coal, and the contents of V, U and Mo are a higher grade in coal formations than the host metapelites. The ratios of Al/Na and K/Na in coal formation are very heterogeneous and wide range from 10.28 to 90.91 and from 3.73 to 36.60, respectively. The V content increase with increasing Al and Ba contents, but the U and Mo are not related with other elements. Those are suggested that controlled of mineral compositions in coaly metapelites due to substitution, migration and reequilibrium of elements by regional metamorphism. These coal formation were deposited in basin of marine environments and the REE of these rocks are not influenced with metamorphism and hydrothermal alterations on the basis of Al content versus La, La against Ce, the ratios of La/Ce (0.23 to 0.73) and Th/U (0.03 to 16.6). These rocks also show much variation in $La_N/Yb_N$ (0.53 to 14.19), Th/Yb (0.51 to 6.00) and La/Th (0.15 to 18.92), and their origin is explained by derivation from a mixture of sedimentary and metasedimentary rocks. The wide range in trace and REE element characteristics as Co/Th (0.07 to 3.00), La/Sc (0.04 to 23.48), Sc/Th (0.06 to 7.57), V/Ni (2 to 3319), Cr/V (0.03 to 1.06) and Ni/Co (1.00 to 79.85) of these coaly metapelites argues for inefficient mixing of the various source lithologies during sedimentation.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.261-271
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• 2022

Six gas samples were collected from coal and coaly shale from core AA-1, which was acquired from the Asem-Asem Basin, southeast Kalimantan, Indonesia. These coalbed gas samples were analyzed for the molecular composition, carbon isotope (δ¹³C_CH4, δ¹³C_C2, and δ¹³C_CO2), hydrogen isotope (δD_CH4), hydrocarbon index (C_HC), and carbon dioxide-methane index (CDMI) to document their origin and methanogenic pathways. Core AA-1 successively consists of lower clastic sedimentary rocks (Sedimentary Unit-1, SU-1) containing coal and coaly shale, and upper limestone (Sedimentary Unit-2, SU-2), unconformably underlain by serpentinized basement interpreted as part of the Cretaceous Meratus subduction complex (MSC). The coal and coaly shale (SU-1) were deposited in a marshes nearby a small-scale river. Compositions of coalbed gases show that methane ranges from 87.35 to 95.29% and ethane ranges from 3.65 to 9.97%. Carbon isotope of coalbed methane (δ¹³C_CH4) ranges from -60.3 to -58.8‰, while hydrogen isotope (δD_CH4) ranges from -252.9 to -252.1‰. Carbon isotope of coalbed ethane (δ¹³C_C2) ranges from -32.8 to -31.2‰, carbon isotope of coalbed carbon dioxide (δ¹³C_CO2) ranges from -8.6 to -6.2‰. The coalbed CO₂ is interpreted to be an abiogenic origin based on a combination of δ¹³C_CO2 and CDMI and could have been transported from underlying CO₂ bearing MSC through faults. The methanogenic pathways of coalbed gases are interpreted to have originated from primary methyl-type fermentation and mixed with CO₂ reduction, affecting thermogenic non-marine coal-type gases based on analyses of isotopic ratios and various indexes.