Mineral identification in Colombian coals using Mössbauer spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction

Minerals were identified in three Colombian coal samples from the Southwest of the country using Mössbauer spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Original and sink separated coal fractions of specific gravity 1.40 and 1.60 with particle size less than 600 µm were used in the study. Using Mössbauer spectroscopy, the minerals identified in the original coal samples were pyrite jarosite, ankerite, illite and ferrous sulfate, whereas by means of X-ray diffraction, minerals identified were kaolinite, quartz, pyrite, and jarosite. Differences in mineral composition were found in the original and sink separated fractions using both techniques. Mössbauer spectra show that the mineral phases in low concentrations such as illite, ankerite and ferrous sulfate do not always appear in the spectra of sink coals, despite of those minerals occurring in the original coal, due to the fact that they are associated with the organic matter and not liberated in the grinding process. X-ray results show that the peak intensity grows as the specific gravity is increased indicating that the density separation method could be an effective process to clean coal.