Microstructural relation of macerals with mineral matter in coals from Ib valley and Umaria, Son-Mahanadi basin, India

Abstract

Coal petrology provides significant inputs for the industrial utilisation of coal and for broad understanding the coal formation and diagenesis. The present paper entails the results of the investigations carried out on the selected coal samples, from Ib valley and Umaria coalfield, using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to study the surface microstructures and minerals present in them and the relationship of the finely dispersed mineral matter with the organic constituents. This would further help in evaluating the distribution and chemical character of the mineral matter occurring within the maceral types. Ib valley and Umaria coals are typical Indian (Lower Gondwana) non-coking coals and only scanty data is available on SEM study of these coals. Under SEM examination, it manifests that, the mineral matters of these coal occur as deep intergrowth, massive impregnation, superficial mounting, filling and depletion of micropores, mechanical cavity filling and fusinitic cavity filling.