METALLIFEROUS COALS OF SHUBARKOL DEPOSIT (CENTRAL KAZAKHSTAN)

Abstract

The relevance of the research is caused by the possibility of using coal not only as energy fuel, but also as a source of valuable elements-impurities (Ge, Re, Ga, Nb, Zr, Hf, Y, Au, REE, etc.). This is especially true of toxic impurities, since a significant amount of them are accumulated in ash and slag waste, and a number of elements are carried out with gas phase or ash-entrainment into the atmosphere, which affects environmental pollution. The main aim of the research is to assess the content of elements-impurities and the forms of their presence in coals and ashes of the Shubarkol coal deposit. The objects of the study are coals and carbon-bearing rocks of the Shubarkol deposit (Central Kazakhstan). Methods: carbon spectrographic studies; IR spectrometric and pyrolytic; instrumental neutron activation analysis; mass spectrometric method with inductively coupled plasma; scanning electron microscopy with x-ray spectral analysis. Results. The authors have revealed the enrichment of coals from the Shubarkol deposit with REE, Sc, Co, Cs, Zr, Ag and Ba. Coal seam 2B3 (Ad – 4,8 %) is characterized by the highest contents in the section of Be, Sc, Co, Zr, Mo, W, Ag, Sb and U with increased contents of V, Cs and Hg in comparison with Сlark for coal. Individual coal seams (2В3 and 2В1), abnormally enriched with a group of elements and their coal ash can be considered as a rare-metal complex mineralization. In coal ash of 2B3 seam the content of a group of metals: Be (79.4 g/t), Sc (135 g/t), V (771 g/t), Co (493 g/t), Y (201 g/t), Zr (3328 g/t), Mo (130 g/t), Ag (5.4 g/t), Hf (63.5 g/t), and the sum of REE+Y (679 g/t) is higher than the minimum industrial values. Mineral forms of rare earth elements (zircon, baddeleyite, and monazite) were identified.

Keywords

• shubarkol deposit
• coal
• coal ash
• element-impurities
• modes of occurrences
• rare elements