Illinois basin

Reactions of Goal Ash. Mineral matter impurities have an important effect on the utili2ation of a coal. One of the constituents of greatest concern is pyrite because of the potential for sulfur oxide generation on combustion. The highest concentrations of pyrite are associated with coal deposition under marine environments, as typified by the Illinois Basin, including parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky. Additionally, the mineral matter... 

Other coal sample banks are also in existence. The Penn State Sample Bank at Peimsylvania State University has the most diverse collection of samples (86). The Illinois Basin Coal Sample Program at the Illinois State Geological Survey specializes in samples from the Illinois Basin (89). The European Center for Coal Specimens has a significant collection of samples from the entire world and is located in Eygelshoven in The Netherlands (88). Each makes samples available in kilogram quantities. 

Figure 20.1 shows the number of Class I wells in the 1986 survey by state, divided into U.S. EPA regions, and also indicates the regulatory status of such wells in each state as of 1989. The map shows the heavy concentration of hazardous waste injection wells in three geologic basins Gulf Coast, Illinois Basin, and the Michigan Basin.1 3 ... 

In 1985, 27% of Class I wells were of this type, with most located in the Illinois Basin. 

Recent work has suggested that the coals of the Illinois Basin were never buried deeper than about 1500 m. (44), compared with an estimated 3000 m. or more for the coals of western Pennsylvania in the Eastern province. Presumably as a consequence, the coals of the Interior province tend to show low values of vitrinite reflectance and high values of moisture-holding capacity relative to coals of other areas of apparently similar rank (45). 

Illicit substances, testing for, 12 96-98 Illinois Basin Coal Sample program,... 

Price FT, Shieh YN (1979) The distribution and isotopic composition of sulfur in coals from the Illinois Basin. Econ Geol 74 1445-1461... 

Appalachian Region Class F Illinois Basin Class F Gulf Coast Class E Fort Union Class C Powder River Basin Class C... 

Table 7 lists the results of test bums at two coal-combusting power plants a western Kentucky power plant, which burned pure Illinois Basin coal (Table 4) and two blends of this coal + TDF (99 wt% coal + 1 wt% TDF 97 wt% coal + 3 wt% TDF) in a cyclone boiler (Hower et al. 2001) and the Purdue University power plant, which used a stoker boiler to combust a comparable Illinois Basin coal as well as a blend containing 95 wt% of this coal and 5 wt% TDF (Table 4 this study). 

Roy, W. R. Griffin, R. A. 1984. Illinois basin coal fly ashes. 2. Equilibria relationships and qualitative modeling of ash-water reactions. Environmental Science and Technology, 18, 739-742. 

There are significant differences in the carbonate mineralogy of coals from different parts of the world. Calcite is nearly the only carbonate mineral observed in Illinois coals (1) whereas ankerite is the dominant carbonate mineral in British coals (5,6), and siderite, ankerite, and calcite are common in Australian coals (7). The carbonate minerals make up 9% of the total mineral matter content of coals from the Illinois Basin (1). 

Silica (Quartz). Quartz is ubiquitous in all coals. Rao and Gluskoter (I) reported that, on the average, 15% of the mineral matter in coals from the Illinois Basin was quartz. O Gorman and Walker (2) found 1-20% quartz in 16 whole coal samples from various parts of the United States. 

Jack Simon In Illinois the systematic increase in rank from the northwest to southeast can hardly be explained by the increase of subsidence this, to be sure, does exist in the same general direction, but the increase in depth does not seem to be great enough for this gradual loss of moisture and for the gradual increase in calorific value across the Illinois basin from northwest to southeast. 

Chesterian (Upper Mississippian) Waltersburg Crudes of the Illinois Basin, Illinois State Geol. Survey Circ. (1968) 421. 

Brewer (2) indicated that the Tar Springs, Jackson, and Benoist Formations in the Illinois Basin responded when the voids in these low permeability formations were filled with explosives and detonated. Further, the Cleveland and Red Fork sands in Oklahoma were reported to have responded to NG1 shots in the formation. Data on individual tests and detailed results were not publicized. 

USA Illinois Basin Illinois, Indiana, and Western Kentucky 298 samples... 

USA Illinois Basin Indiana Dugger Formation Danville Member 4 samples USA Illinois Basin Indiana Petersburg Formation Springfield Coal Member 5 samples... 

USA Illinois Basin St. Clair county, Illinois 6 coal... 

In the bituminous coals of the US Illinois and Appalachian basins, arsenic primarily occurs in pyrite. The arsenian pyrite probably originated from subsurface fluids that existed about 270 million years ago during the formation of the Ouachita and Appalachian mountains (Goldhaber, Lee and Hatch, 2003). The arsenic-bearing fluids in the midcontinent Illinois Basin were primarily brines derived from surrounding sedimentary basins that were also responsible for the formation of the Mississippi Valley lead-zinc deposits. In contrast, the fluids that were responsible for the arsenian pyrites in the Appalachians (especially in the coals of the Warrior Basin of Alabama) were metamorphic and not as saline as those in the midcontinent (Goldhaber, Lee and Hatch, 2003). 

Shale Lower Illinois River Basin, Illinois, USA 3 samples Shale New Albany Shale Illinois Basin, Illinois, USA Shale northern Labrador, Canada 75 samples Shale typical average... 

Ward, C. R. 1977. Mineral Matter in the Springfield-Harrisburg (No. 5) Coal Member in the Illinois Basin. Circular No. 498. Illinois State Geological Survey, Urbana, IL. 

In the U.S., coal comes from several different regions. The Northern Appalachian area of the Eastern U.S. and the Illinois Basin in the Midwest produce coal that is high in sulfur, which produces more pollutants. In contrast are the enormous stores of coal in Wyoming and Montana, which bum at lower temperatures and produce less energy than high-sulfur coal, but create less pollution. In existing mines, the U.S. has about 250 billion tons of recoverable coal. Combined with coal seams outside of mines, the U.S. has 500 billion tons of recoverable coal. 

Hower and Mowatt (1966) Cambrian, Eau Claire, Illinois Basin, U.S.A. 

Illinois Basin IL, IN, W. KY Bituminous 109.6 Mostly high-sulfur coal. Approximately 5% of the total reserve is low- to medium-sulfur coal. 

Figure 3. Relationship between 834S value and organic sulfur content in Illinois Basin coals. Data are from the literature (112-115).

Figure 4. Comparison of isotopic composition of pyritic and organic sulfur in low- and high-sulfur coals in the Illinois Basin. Data are taken form Westgate and Anderson (113). Samples were collected from the top, middle, and base of the Herrin Coal at each mine.

Low-sulfur coal in the western U.S. has a low molybdenum content with an average of 2.1 ppm (118). compared to an average of 10.7 ppm in the Illinois Basin (97). Thus, the molybdenum content appears to be indicative of a sedimentary environment during coal formation. 

Basinal Brines as a Source of Sulfur in High-Sulfur Coals. Sulfide minerals, such as pyrite and sphalerite, in coal seams may be deposited from basinal hydrothermal fluids. The occurrence of epigenetic sphalerite in Illinois Basin coals has been described by Hatch et al. (119) and Cobb (120). Whelan et al. (121) studied the isotopic composition of pyrite and sphalerite in coal beds from the Illinois Basin and the Forest City Basin, and suggested that some of the coals were affected by Mississippi Valley-type hydrothermal solutions. 

Table III. Elemental Sulfur for Two Illinois Basin Coal Samples...

Exposed Samples Illinois No. 6 from Illinois Basin Program ethanol 0.07 (6)... 

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