Article
Chemistry, Physical
Mohammad Shoaib, Shaihroz Khan, Omar Bashir Wani, Ahmed Abdala, Ali Seiphoori, Erin R. Bobicki
Summary: This study investigates the impact of pH-mediated colloidal particle-particle interaction on the properties of sodium-montmorillonite suspensions. The experimental results reveal significant effects of pH on the aging, viscoelastic response, and yield stress behavior of the suspensions.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geology
Wenmu Guo, Zhiyong Wang, Lei Zhao, Bangjun Liu, Shiming Liu, Haiyang Zhang, Jinxi Wang, Cunliang Zhao
Summary: This study investigated the elevated concentrations and modes of occurrence of trace elements such as Cu, As, and Se and sulfide minerals in the Pennsylvanian No. 9 coal seam from the Yunjialing Mine, the Handan Coalfield, north China. The coal in Yunjialing Mine is anthracite and is characterized by a high total sulfur content. Minerals identified in the Yunjialing coal mainly include illite, quartz, calcite, and kaolinite and trace amounts of anatase, chalcopyrite, chalcocite, and chamosite. Furthermore, the studied coal samples are enriched in Cu content, with up to 1,095 μg/g in an individual coal ply. Moreover, the coals are slightly enriched in As and Se.
ORE GEOLOGY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Debananda Roy, Gurdeep Singh, Sweta Sinha, Joonhong Park, Yong-Chil Seo
Summary: This study utilized an emission inventory technique to identify and quantify the sources of PM10 in the Dhanbad/Jharia coalfield in India, focusing on the atmospheric particulate pollutants generated by open-cast coal mining and its associated activities. Multiple emission sources, both anthropogenic and natural, contribute to the complexity of the study area, with significant amounts of PM10 produced by various sources such as open-cast coal mining, thermal power plants, and vehicle emissions. The findings of this study could serve as a guideline for identifying and quantifying emission sources in critically polluted coal mining complexes globally, for both developing and developed countries.
ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ashwani Raju, Kamran Mehdi
Summary: The present study investigates the contextual relationship between coal fire-induced land subsidence in the Jharia Coalfield (JCF), India, using a comprehensive approach. By processing 31 consecutive Sentinel-1A and Landsat 8 scenes of 2018, the mean Line-of-Sight displacement and Land Surface Temperature (LST) in JCF were estimated. The results show significant variation in displacement rate at active mine benches and overburden dump, with high displacement due to additive compression induced by volume reduction at the subsurface. The estimated displacement accounts were spatially correlated with thermally anomalous pixels to determine subsidence categories. Binary Logistic Regression was used to test the contextual relationship between displacement estimates (dependent variable) and a set of explanatory variables, specifically pixel integrated LST. The model's performance was cross-validated using statistical parameters derived from the confusion matrix.
GEOCARTO INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Geology
Zhiyong Wang, Wenwu Zhao, Jian Liang, Jingyan Lin, Wenmu Guo, Shiming Liu, Mengqi Du, Cunliang Zhao
Summary: In this study, the mineralogy and geochemistry of the Pennsylvanian No. 21 coal seam at the Huixiang Mine in the Dengfeng Coalfield, North China were investigated. The coal was found to be semi-anthracite and contained NH4- illite, kaolinite, calcite, and chlorite as the predominant minerals. The coal was slightly enriched with Li, Zr, Nb, Ta, and Th, making it a potential candidate for industrial recovery.
ORE GEOLOGY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Ashwani Raju, Anjali Singh, Surendra Kumar Chandniha
Summary: Temporal monitoring and understanding of coal fires in the Jharia Coalfield (JCF) using Landsat 8 OLI TIRS data revealed significant increases in affected areas from 2015 to 2019. East Barora, Sijua, Katras, Kusunda, Kustore, Pootkee Balihari, Bastacolla, Jharia, and Lodna are the most affected collieries. The results, integrated with structural attributes and surface thermal anomalies, provide insights into the dynamics of coal fire propagation in JCF.
PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY OF THE EARTH
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Mollika Bannerjee, Vinod Atmaram Mendhe, Alka Damodhar Kamble, Atul Kumar Varma, Bhagwan D. Singh, Susheel Kumar
Summary: The study shows that the East Bokaro Basin in the Damodar valley is a potentially prospective area for CBM play due to its significant cumulative coal seam thickness and gas content. The research findings provide valuable insights into gas release, diffusion, and adsorption based on detailed analysis of organic content and pore structures in coal.
JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Amruthesh Thirumalaiswamy, Robert A. Riggleman, John C. Crocker
Summary: This study reports a modified metadynamics algorithm that efficiently explores and samples low-energy regions of high-dimensional energy landscapes in glass-forming systems. The algorithm successfully discovers and descends meandering canyons in the landscape, allowing for high densities and low energies to be reached.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Prashant Modi, Aarif Jamal, Nikhilesh Singh
Summary: Coal is a valuable source of energy and contains important elements and rare earth elements. Research has shown that the coal and its by-products from the Sohagpur Coalfield in India have high concentrations of REEs, making them a significant resource for further study.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COAL PREPARATION AND UTILIZATION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Moidu Jameela Riyas, Tajdarul Hassan Syed, Hrishikesh Kumar, Claudia Kuenzer
Summary: Public safety and socio-economic development in the Jharia coalfield (JCF) in India critically depend on precise monitoring and comprehensive understanding of coal fires. This study used N-SBAS technique to analyze the spatiotemporal dynamics of coal fires, identifying prominent subsidence areas and temporal variations. The results provide valuable information for developing early warning systems and remediation strategies.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Bo Jiu, Wenhui Huang, Baruch Spiro, Ruilin Hao, Nana Mu, Long Wen, Huidi Hao
Summary: This study used LA-ICP-MS to investigate the distribution and modes of occurrence of Li, Ga, Nb, and REEs in No. 6 coal from the Haerwusu Mine in the Ordos Basin, China. The majority of Ga and Nb were found to be concentrated in a specific collotelinite layer and had an organic association. Lithium was uniformly distributed in the clay minerals of the collotelinite. Most La and Ce were concentrated in minerals such as monazite, bastnaesite, and lanthanite. Similar characterization methods can be used for trace element analysis in other organic-rich rocks or fine-grained sediments.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COAL GEOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
John Buragohain, Vinod Atmaram Mendhe, Atul Kumar Varma, Priyanka Shukla
Summary: The study investigates the organo-lithotype properties of Barakar and Raniganj Formation coal seams to assess their influence on cleat origin and strength properties. Different lithotypes in coal seams affect the cleat system, with Barakar coal showing better cleat quality compared to Raniganj coal. Cleat intensities increase with depth and are influenced by various microfractures and pore structures.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Debjeet Mondal, Sayan Ghosh, Paul Naveen, Manoj Kumar, Arun Majumder, Arun Kumar Panda
Summary: Coal mining, especially in underground mines, faces serious threats from geological constraints like hard roof and trapped gas. The Sohagpur Coalfield's minable seams are associated with rich Coal Bed Methane content, posing challenges during extraction. This study integrates geochemical, geophysical, and geomechanical analysis to investigate the depositional environment of methane-rich coal reserves in the area, highlighting the importance of understanding reserve quality, roof properties, and gas content for safe and efficient coal mining.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Barbara S. Diogo, Aracelis Narayan, Catarina Mansilha, Jorge Espinha Marques, Deolinda Flores, Sara C. Antunes
Summary: This study assessed the ecotoxicological effects of soil elutriates from different soil types in the PejAo Coalfield on Lactuca sativa. The presence of toxic elements in the elutriates affected the development of L. sativa, inhibiting germination and causing morphological alterations. The results emphasize the importance of using elutriate samples to evaluate the phytotoxicity of coal mining waste.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Prashant Modi, James C. Hower, Rohit Kumar Giri, Ishwar Chandra Rahi, Mohd. Adil Siddiqui, Pramod Kumar Rajak, Aarif Jamal
Summary: Rare earth elements (REEs) play a crucial role in various industries, defense, consumer goods, and aviation products. With the depletion of primary sources, coal is emerging as a potential secondary source for REEs. However, traditional thermochemical processes for REEs extraction are costly and environmentally harmful, necessitating the exploration of more sustainable and eco-friendly methods. This study investigates the extraction of REEs from coal samples obtained from Sohagpur coalfield in Madhya Pradesh, India. Through various experiments, it is discovered that a flocculator jar test apparatus in the presence of 2 M HNO3 achieves the highest REEs recovery rate (Ce-95%, Nd-83%, La-82%, Eu-82%, Pr-76%, Sm-74%, Gd-69%, and Tb-69%) from coal. This technique is easy to implement, effective, has minimal environmental impact, and can be scaled up with minor adjustments to industrial machinery.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COAL PREPARATION AND UTILIZATION
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Ana Claudia Santos, Alexandra Guedes, David French, Aurora Futuro, Bruno Valentim
Summary: The increasing demand and supply risk of rare earth elements (REEs) have led to the research on alternative secondary sources. This study focuses on coal and coal combustion ash as potential raw materials for REEs. The results show that the concentrations of REEs in ash are higher than in feed coals. The fine and nonmagnetic fractions of the ash are found to be enriched with REEs. However, the concentrations of REE oxides are still below the economical cutoff of 1000 ppm.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Marta S. Nunes, Catia Pereira, Alexandra Guedes, Ana Claudia Santos, Bruno Valentim, Cristina Freire
Summary: This study demonstrates the high electrocatalytic performance of charcoal recovered from coal combustion fly ashes in the oxygen reduction reaction, potentially replacing natural graphite in energy-related applications.
SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY AND PHARMACY
(2022)
Article
Geology
V. Laranjeira, J. Ribeiro, N. Moreira, P. Nogueira, D. Flores
Summary: The geochemical composition of Ediacaran black shales from the Serie Negra succession in Ossa-Morena Zone was investigated to understand their paleodepositional environments and their potential for metal deposition. The results showed that the black shales could be a source of metals, which might have been remobilized during the Variscan events.
JOURNAL OF IBERIAN GEOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
R. Silva, A. Guedes, D. Ribeiro, C. Vale, A. Meixedo, A. Mosleh, P. Montenegro
Summary: This study aims to develop a methodology to automatically identify unbalanced vertical loads in freight trains circulation, which is crucial for railways management companies and operators to prevent service interruptions or derailments with high financial costs.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Elsayed Mousa, Xianfeng Hu, Ludvig Annhagen, Guozhu Ye, Antonella Cornelio, Ario Fahimi, Elza Bontempi, Patrizia Frontera, Charlotte Badenhorst, Ana Claudia Santos, Karen Moreira, Alexandra Guedes, Bruno Valentim
Summary: This paper reports on the characterization of two grades of black mass from spent lithium-ion batteries and their behavior during heating trials. The study provides important insights for optimizing lithium-ion battery recycling processes by fully characterizing black mass samples before and after heating.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Patricia Santos, Jorge Espinha Marques, Joana Ribeiro, Catarina Mansilha, Armindo Melo, Rita Fonseca, Helena Sant'Ovaia, Deolinda Flores
Summary: This study investigates the physicochemical and geochemical changes in soils surrounding a self-burning waste pile in an abandoned coal mine. The results indicate that coal mining can lead to the generation of organic and inorganic contaminants that can spread to surrounding soils. Multivariate statistics and geostatistical methodologies were used to analyze the statistical and spatial relations of different elements and infer their sources. The presence of 16 priority Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the soils suggests contributions from various sources.
Article
Energy & Fuels
V. Laranjeira, J. Ribeiro, N. Moreira, P. Nogueira, J. G. Mendonca Filho, F. Rocha, D. Flores
Summary: This study aims to investigate the association between Silurian black shales and Cu ore deposition in the Sousel-Barrancos metallogenic belt. Petrographic, geochemical, and mineralogical analysis of the black shales reveal significant Cu enrichment in the supergene enrichment domains, which is not directly related to organic carbon content. The mobilization of hydrothermal fluids, possibly of magmatic source, contributed to the discrepant maturation of organic matter in black shales.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COAL GEOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geology
P. Caldevilla, L. Gonzalez-Menendez, T. Martin-Crespo, E. Vindel, A. Guedes, E. Berrezueta, A. M. Castanon, F. Gomez-Fernandez
Summary: The Pen deposit in NW Iberia is mainly composed of quartz veins containing wolframite, cassiterite, and minor molybdenite. The study combined whole rock geochemistry, mineral characterization, fluid inclusions, and stable isotope geochemistry to understand the hydrothermal mineralization conditions. Four stages of mineralization were identified, including an alteration stage, three mineralization stages, and a supergene stage.
ORE GEOLOGY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Helena Sant'Ovaia, Claudia Cruz, Alexandra Guedes, Helena Ribeiro, Patricia Santos, Sonia Pereira, Jorge Espinha Marques, Maria dos Anjos Ribeiro, Catarina Mansilha, Helena Cristina Brites Martins, Bruno Valentim, Joana Torres, Ilda Abreu, Fernando Noronha, Deolinda Flores
Summary: The study focused on the tungsten Regoufe mine, which stopped operations in the 1970s. The research evaluated the contamination of soil, plants, and water in the mining area, specifically looking at potentially toxic elements (PTEs). The results showed that the area had a high level of contamination, posing ecological risks, particularly due to contributions from arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd). However, it was difficult to establish a direct link between As contamination and mining activities, as the soils were already enriched in metals and metalloids from natural geological processes. The study also found that PTE levels in plants were lower than in soil, but bioaccumulation was influenced by site-specific soil concentrations of As and Pb. Magnetic studies indicated the presence of technogenic particles, likely formed during ore processing/mining activities. Overall, the levels of PTEs in surface and groundwater samples were relatively low, with the exception of As, which exceeded drinking water standards.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Patricia Santos, Joana Ribeiro, Jorge Espinha Marques, Deolinda Flores
Summary: Abandoned mines and disposal of mining residues can lead to the release of potentially toxic elements into the environment, causing soil and water contamination and potential ecological damage and human health hazards. This study assesses the environmental and human health risks associated with an abandoned coal mine in Sao Pedro da Cova. It found that the pollution indices calculated using regional reference values were lower and more reliable for environmental assessment.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Susana L. H. Rebelo, Cesar A. T. Laia, Monika Szefczyk, Alexandra Guedes, Ana M. G. Silva, Cristina Freire
Summary: Unveiling and shaping the molecular connectivity in (metallo)porphyrin-carbon nanotube hybrids is crucial for their various applications in medicine, photoelectronics, catalysis, and photocatalysis. This study successfully modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes through 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions and demonstrated the presence of different porphyrin-carbon nanotube connectivity in the resulting nanohybrid. Photophysical studies further confirmed energy/charge transfer in the photoactivated nanohybrid.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Charlotte Badenhorst, Iwona Kuzniarska-Biernacka, Alexandra Guedes, Elsayed Mousa, Violeta Ramos, Gavin Rollinson, Guozhu Ye, Bruno Valentim
Summary: This paper presents a separation process for recovering graphite from spent lithium-ion batteries, along with the recovery of LMO, Cu, and Al as by-products. The process is simple, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective, using readily available equipment in the market.
