HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Arora, H. S. Articles by Dixon, J. B. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Arora, H. S. Articles by Dixon, J. B. Agricola Articles by Arora, H. S. Articles by Dixon, J. B.

Forms of Sulfur in East Texas Lignitic Coal¹

ABSTRACT

Distribution of sulfur and its three predominant forms in 10 lignitic coal seams developed in fluvial environments in east Texas was examined. The average sulfur content for individual seams varied from 0.88 to 3.98%, while the total sulfur content of 10-cm sections of these seams varied from 0.53 to 16.79%. Sulfate sulfur was a minor component compared to pyritic or organic sulfur. The organic sulfur content determined by the standard American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) procedure as the difference between the inorganic sulfur (sulfate + pyritic sulfur) and the total sulfur in the original material, in general, remained uniform within a given lignite profile. A significant correlation was obtained between the organic sulfur content obtained by the ASTM procedure and a more direct method of density separation of specific gravity < 1.6 fraction and the determination of total sulfur in this fraction with an induction furnace and automatic titrator. Pyritic sulfur had the most variable distribution with a greater concentration of pyrite occurring at the seam fringes, which suggests the need for separate handling of these highpyrite content mine spoils for safe disposal.

Key Words: strip-mining • heavy liquid separation • pyrite • organic S • automated S analysis

¹ Contribution from the Dep. of Soil and Crop Sci., Texas A&M Univ., College Station, TX 77843. Research supported by Center for Energy and Mineral Resour. and Texas Agric. Exp. Stn., College Station. Environ. Sci. Div., Oak Ridge Natl. Lab. (operated by Union Carbide Corp. under contract W-7405-eng-26 with the U.S. Dep. Energy), Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Pub. no. 1472, Environ. Sci. Div., ORNL.

² Research Associate, Environ. Sci. Div., ORNL; Assistant Professor, Northeast Louisiana Univ., Monroe, LA 71209; and Professors, Texas A&M Univ., College Station, TX 77843; respectively.

Received for publication September 1, 1979.