1420 XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3
of binary coal particles associated with kaolinite, a clay
mineral.
Focused clay and mineral characterization, especially in
Seam B, revealed the effectiveness of FTIR spectroscopy in
identifying and mapping major clay minerals like kaolinite
and illite. This method not only distinguished between clay
minerals but also offered a mapping routine for detailed
discrimination between individual mineral grains. It should
be noted that this tool was not employed for quantitative
measurements but simply for mineral identification.
Automated mineralogy quantified mineral compo-
nents in RC chip samples, revealing higher abundances
of muscovite/illite/phengite in the feed coal sample from
Seam B. This observation raised questions about geological
Figure 9(a) Combined automated mineralogy BSE image, (b) equivalent mineral map and (c&d) EDS elemental maps showing
an example of liberated coal particles for Seam A (+300 µm material) and intricate mineral intergrowths (kaolinite and
muscovite-illite-smectite) in the cell lumen of the coal macerals
Table 5. Washability number, ash content, determined in the clean coal and percent liberated
coal for the composites from Seams A, B and C
Washability Number (Wn) %Ash Clean Coal Coal Liberation, %
Seam A 80 6.53 81.38
49 5.23 80.57
Seam B 70 7.23 70.44
45 8.86 72.34
47 9.12 67.82
33 11.02 60.00
Seam C 54 7.75 76.15
30 11.46 63.37
of binary coal particles associated with kaolinite, a clay
mineral.
Focused clay and mineral characterization, especially in
Seam B, revealed the effectiveness of FTIR spectroscopy in
identifying and mapping major clay minerals like kaolinite
and illite. This method not only distinguished between clay
minerals but also offered a mapping routine for detailed
discrimination between individual mineral grains. It should
be noted that this tool was not employed for quantitative
measurements but simply for mineral identification.
Automated mineralogy quantified mineral compo-
nents in RC chip samples, revealing higher abundances
of muscovite/illite/phengite in the feed coal sample from
Seam B. This observation raised questions about geological
Figure 9(a) Combined automated mineralogy BSE image, (b) equivalent mineral map and (c&d) EDS elemental maps showing
an example of liberated coal particles for Seam A (+300 µm material) and intricate mineral intergrowths (kaolinite and
muscovite-illite-smectite) in the cell lumen of the coal macerals
Table 5. Washability number, ash content, determined in the clean coal and percent liberated
coal for the composites from Seams A, B and C
Washability Number (Wn) %Ash Clean Coal Coal Liberation, %
Seam A 80 6.53 81.38
49 5.23 80.57
Seam B 70 7.23 70.44
45 8.86 72.34
47 9.12 67.82
33 11.02 60.00
Seam C 54 7.75 76.15
30 11.46 63.37