Geochemical characteristics of trace elements in Zhuzhuang Coal Mine of Huaibei coalfield

With industrial development and innovation, the demand for key metal minerals dominated by rare earth elements is increasing day by day. More experts believe that coal measures mineral resources have the potential to obtain key metal minerals, and such resources have therefore received high attention at home and abroad. Huaibei coalfield in China is rich in coal resources. In order to study the geochemical characteristics of trace elements in its coal and judge the industrial potential of rare metals, No. 5 coal, No. 8 coal and No. 10 coal in Zhuzhuang Coal Mine were selected as the research objects. The samples were analyzed by means of industrial analysis, XRF and ICP-MS. The results show that compared with the world coal, most trace elements in Zhuzhuang Coal Mine are highly enriched, such as Li, Cr, Co, etc. Compared with 5 coal and 8 coal, the concentration of trace elements in 10 coal is low, and the contents of V, Mn, Rb and Cs belong to the normal range. Through the analysis of w (Al2O3)/w (TiO2) ratio and element geochemical characteristics, it is concluded that the sedimentary source area of the study area is felsic source rock, the paleosalinity from Shanxi formation to Lower Shihezi Formation changes from marine facies to saline water facies, and the paleoclimate is a warm and humid reduction environment. In addition, rare earth elements are enriched in light and medium rare earth elements, and Eu, Y positive anomalies and Ce negative anomalies all show that the sedimentary environment of Zhuzhuang mine is affected by seawater and magmatic hydrothermal solution. Therefore, the abnormal enrichment of trace elements in Zhuzhuang Coal Mine may be affected by the sedimentary environment, seawater and hydrothermal solution. In addition, the study area is relatively rich in rare earth elements, and its total content is close to or even higher than the industrial grade. Through the comparison of REY prospect coefficient (Coutl) and a variety of sediment minerals, it is considered that the rare earth elements of coal 5 and coal 8 in the sample of the study area are promising as REY raw materials, while the effect of coal 10 is poor. © 2023 China Coal Society. All rights reserved.