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https://www.ias.ac.in/article/fulltext/jess/128/04/0103

Dull band; bright band; phosphorous; maceral; dyke.

In recent years, the international coking coal market is experiencing an acute shortage of coal supply which has caused a fluctuation in its price. Degradation of coke, in the blast furnace, is largely controlled by its inherent mineral matter. Phosphorous occurs in all coals in minor or trace amounts and is an important parameter to coal users, particularly in steel industries. The mode of occurrence and distribution of phosphorous minerals in 17 coal samples of the Jharia coal basin were investigated through petrographic examinations, technological characterisation and phosphorous distribution. The results reveal that the dull bands are eight times more enriched in phosphorous than the bright bands. The macerals of the inertinite group and mineral matter positively correlate with the phosphorous content, whereas vitrinite macerals have an apathetic correlation. The impact of the thermal alterations is localised and diminishes away from the contact of the intrusion. In contrast, the faulting does not appear to have any effect on the phosphorous content.

Atul Kumar Varma¹ Sumit Mishra¹ Balram Tiwari¹ Bodhisatwa Hazra¹ Susheel Kumar¹ Durga Charan Panigrahi² Anwita Ojha¹

1. Coal Geology and Organic Petrology Laboratory, Department of Applied Geology, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, India.
2. Department of Mining Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, India.

Published

1 June 2019

Manuscript received

11 November 2017

Manuscript revised

25 August 2018

Accepted

2 October 2018

Final version published online

15 April 2019