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Yasmin Nurgis
Environmental Research Center, Bahria University, Karachi, Pakistan
E-mail: ercbu@bimcs.edu.pk
Mughal Sharif
Environmental Research Center, Bahria University, Karachi, Pakistan
E-mail: ercbu@bimcs.edu.pk
Abstract
Thar coalfield is a part of the Thar Desert of Pakistan. Pakistan has coal reserves of
185 billion tons, of this Thar coal reserves account for 175 billion tons spread over a single
geographically contained area of 9100 sq km in the south eastern part of the Sindh. It is
bounded in the north, east and south by India, in the west by the irrigated Indus river flood
plain. The terrain is sandy and rough with sand dunes forming the topography. Various
physio-chemical parameters including chemical composition of coal ashes, distribution of
trace elements in them, were analyzed to understand the coal prospects and its share in the
domestic energy production. In addition a preliminary study have also undertaken on the
factors that effect the chemical composition of coal ashes. The apparent rank is high
volatile Lignite B coal. Arithmetic mean values for proximate analysis of coals (as
received basis; n=54) show these coals to be 6.83% Ash, 29.55% volatile matter, 19.2%
fixed carbon and 44.3% moisture and have a heat of combustion of 6094 BTU/lb. Average
values for ultimate analysis of the coal show these coals to be 4.96% hydrogen, 51.18%
carbon, 0.31% nitrogen, 2.45% sulphur and 14.88% oxygen. The geometric mean values of
these, as viewed from the analysis of coal ash samples collected from the Thar coal field
region, it can be seen that coal ashes from region studied are composed of organic matter
and the major chemicals are SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3 and CaO as well as minor amounts of
SO3,P2O5, Na2O, K2O and TiO2. During the combustions of coal, its trace elements will be
redistributed and most of them are enriched in coal ashes.The mineralogy of Sindh coal
samples suggests that these coals have quartz and Kaolinite as the dominant phase and
minor amount of calcite, Illite and Muuscovite. The dominant minerals of Thar coals are
Composition, Trace Element Contents and Major Ash Constituents of Thar Coal, Pakistan 93
quartz. Quartz also tends to occur in the form of comparatively large particles of free
mineral matter, whereas much of the pyrite is dispersed in the coal substances and clay
sediments.
1. Introduction
Energy has become an important prerequisite for the economic development of a country. On one hand
it is used for the industrial and agricultural purposes and on other hand it is required for domestic use
of the citizens. Pakistan is presently facing an acute power shortage, with a rapidly growing population
and economy, and relying heavily on thermal power generation. About half of the thermal power
generation is based on imported oil or on natural gas. Oil is very expensive and rising unpredictable to
unprecedented height. Where as reserves of natural gas are limited. Pakistan is presently facing a
demand and supply gap of electricity approximately 5000MW and may increase in the coming years.
Out of total generation capacity of 17664MW, coal fired power generation is presently only
50MW. Whereas Pakistan has total coal reserves of 185 billion tons of these Thar coal reserves
account for 175 billion tons spread over a single geographical contained area of 9100 sq km in Thar
desert in South-Eastern corner of the province of Sindh, Pakistan. Coal is projected as a primary source
for power generation through its combustion and could even surpass oil and natural gas in use,
especially when the real costs of energy are compared to the costs of using indigenous coal resources
of Pakistan. In this scenario coal presents itself as the foremost solution to country energy crises.
In the process of combustion organic and inorganic materials in it will undergo a complex
variation part of them will become volatiles, together with coal smoke, enter into atmosphere in the
form of solid particles and the rest will be retained in ash and slag. Coal ashes are the residues of
organic and inorganic substances in coal left after coal combustion ( Abernethy et al; 1969).The
concentration of trace elements are much higher than those of bottom ash ( Swaine, 1975) coal
combustion not only produce heat and energy but significantly harm the environment and human
health ( Hepplaston et al; 1984; Borm, 1994; Vanhee et al, 1995; Borm and Driscoll, 1996; Driscoll et
al; 1996, 1997; Paul, 1997; Frinkelman et al; 1999). Under leaching action the ashes will find their way
into underground water, causing underground water pollution (Mareal Pires et al; 2000; Liuguijian,
2000 a). Therefore, coal combustion and ash slag formation will lead to obvious redistribution of
elements on the earth surface.
Coal quality is now generally recognized as being an impact, often significant, on coal
combustion especially in many areas of power plant operation. The parameters of rank, mineral matter
content (ash content) sulfur and moisture contents are regarded as determining factors in combustibility
as it relates to both heating value and ease of reaction. Therefore this study is undertaken the
geochemical characteristics, chemical composition and element composition of Thar coal .In addition
this study is a brief effort to stimulate the already growing interest in the possibilities of raising the coal
prospects and its share in the domestic energy production. Coal ashes analysis will provide the
scientific basis for their comprehensive utilization and for reducing environmental pollution.
platform slope. Shelf platform and carbonate deposits ranging in age from Triassic to recent overlie the
basement slope (Kazmi and Jan, 1995).
The Thar coalfield is located between latitudes 24o15'N and 25o 45'N and longitudes 69o45'E
and in the south-eastern part of Sindh. The Thar desert lies in the south-eastern part of Pakistan on the
stable western margin of the Indian plate (Kazmi and Jan, 1995).
3. Geology of Thar
The Thar coalfield is covered by dunes with an average depth varying from 14-93 meters and is located
on the Indus platform in the eastern part of the desert. This structural platform is underlain by relatively
shallow granitic basement. This granite complex dips down abruptly beneath the western part of the
Thar Desert and is highly faulted (Fasset and Durrani, 1994).
An unconformity at the base of underlying sedimentary sequence east ward to the point where
the Paleocene/Eocene rocks rest directly on the basement granite is present. The maceral components
indicate less maturity of coal formed herbaceous plants in warm climate with rapid rise and fall in
water level and environment of raised bogs (Fasset and Durrani, 1994). The quality of coal is liginite
B, Clay stone forms the roof as well as floor of coal benches (Jaleel et. al., 2002). Thar coals are
Paleocene to Eocene in age and may be deposited in raised bog environment (Jaleel et. al., 2002). The
geological studies shows that coal bearing strata of palocene-Eocene sediments unconformabaly
overlie the pre-cambrian basement igneous rocks exposed al-Nagar Parkar ( Fasset and Durrani, 1994)
and this is only out crop bed rock in the region.
At the depth of 110 to 277 meters the basement rock is generally granite and granodiorite. The
granite is of white, pinkish grey to very light grey in colour and coarse grained having feldspar to
highly altered Kaolinite (Jaffery, 1994).
The Paleocene-Ecocene coal bearing horizons of clay stone, carbonaceous clay stone, sand
stone and silt stone with inter-laminated coal beds. Sand stone is very fine to coarse grained and
consists of ferro magnesium mineral grains.
The metabasalts are medium to coarse grained volcanic and plutonic rocks that have
metamorphosed to epidote amphibolites and contain acidic dykes of rhyolite to quartz trachyte
composition (Jan et al., 1997). The coal bearing horizon of the Paleocene-Eocene sediments above the
basement complex is designated as Bara formation is highly altered Kaolinite (Jaffery, 1994). The
granite is white, pinkish grey. The stratigraphic sequence in the Thar coal test holes is generally the
same (Table 1)
7. Correlation Analyses
Correlation analysis is applied to the multivariate data set to investigate the degree of similarities and
probable interrelations among the chemical and physical parameters (Nurken, 1997).
Correlation coefficient between the variables for proximate and ultimate (as determined, as
received) were calculated and listed in Table 9-12. Statistical analysis for the determination of
correlation coefficient has been calculated. An overall view of the correlation mean results reveals that
the numbers of parameters are not correlating with each other and which are correlated indicated by
bold faces in the Table 9-12, suggesting that they are dependent on each other.
96 M. Afzal Farooq Choudry, Yasmin Nurgis, Mughal Sharif,
Amjad Ali Mahmood and Haq Nawaz Abbasi
The values obtained in proximate analyses (as determined and as received) suggesting that
those variables which are correlating are similar in both types of analysis, indicating that energy values
are dependent on volatile matter whereas the ash contents depend on % of sulfur in coal.
The strong correlation existing between carbon: hydrogen and ash: sulfur in ultimate analyses
(as determined and as received), pointing out that these variables are dependent on each other.
No SiO2 TiO2 Al2O3 Fe2O3 MnO MgO CaO Na2O K2O SO3 P2O5 Moisture
1 57.78 0.16 23.17 8.59 0.07 1.89 4.00 1.07 0.20 2.46 Traces 0.82
2 10.50 0.01 5.44 53.64 0.01 3.07 7.80 2.97 0.15 14.24 Traces 1.44
3 51.95 0.45 28.69 6.38 0.06 2.57 6.58 2.67 0.17 0.39 Traces 0.05
4 15.75 0.08 13.36 13.53 0.14 8.78 18.01 4.24 0.28 21.87 Traces 3.66
5 4.60 0.15 8.34 8.57 0.23 13.84 29.62 5.48 0.35 27.40 Traces 0.46
6 6.33 0.08 9.43 16.73 0.16 11.34 21.09 4.06 0.24 29.85 Traces 0.30
7 41.75 0.11 31.57 2.47 0.08 2.86 7.52 1.89 0.32 6.68 Traces 4.32
8 15.20 0.50 9.14 6.07 0.23 10.61 27.04 7.02 0.57 20.03 Traces 3.51
9 55.76 0.75 40.34 1.08 Traces 0.01 0.97 0.32 0.24 Traces Traces 0.41
10 54.61 0.60 36.70 6.93 Traces 0.01 0.70 1.06 0.09 Traces Traces 0.49
11 51.05 0.53 36.72 8.10 0.04 0.85 0.70 1.10 0.11 0.10 Traces 0.67
12 12.06 1.10 18.01 0.51 0.48 0.01 48.95 1.21 0.96 16.54 Traces 0.20
13 20.40 0.20 12.10 23.00 0.08. 6.40 17.30 3.35 0.42 Traces 16.29 0.50
14 23.04 0.15 1.50 47.00 0.08 2.80 12.33 2.69 0.26 Traces 10.01 0.35
15 13.78 0.24 0.80 39.74 0.08 4.43 16.80 3.26 0.44 Traces 20.00 0.45
16 31.40 0.40 12.90 34.36 0.07 2.80 8.90 2.20 0.30 Traces 6.86 0.50
17 47.28 0.40 30.05 16.40 0.05 0.40 3.30 1.15 0.13 Traces 0.25 0.50
18 25.46 0.41 8.80 20.02 0.13 8.80 14.02 2.70 0.25 Traces 19.57 0.35
19 20.08 0.02 11.80 11.40 0.24 2.40 28.00 1.60 0.48 Traces 22.80 0.50
20 1.32 0.01 0.52 75.42 0.11 2.80 9.50 4.00 0.11 Traces 5.83 0.52
21 5.94 0.41 16.01 5.03 0.32 0.40 35.80 4.10 0.54 Traces 30.58 0.42
22 31.22 0.33 29.02 2.65 0.23 1.20 18.30 4.04 0.45 Traces 13.00 0.45
C o m p o s itio n o f A s h
0 .3 2
3
2 .7 0
3
S iO 2
3 .6
A l2 O 3
2 7 .1 5
4 .5 F e2O 3
C ao
4 .8 MgO
S O3
K 2O
5
N a2O
M nO
P 2O 5
T iO 2
1 8 .5 1 7 .5
Composition, Trace Element Contents and Major Ash Constituents of Thar Coal, Pakistan 99
Figure 2: Showing the % of different variables of Thar coal (as-determent).
Carb o n H y d ro g e n N i tro g e n
Su lfu r As h M o istu re
O xyg e n
C a rb o n H y d ro g en N i tro g e n
Su l fu r A sh M o i s tu re
O xy g en
100 M. Afzal Farooq Choudry, Yasmin Nurgis, Mughal Sharif,
Amjad Ali Mahmood and Haq Nawaz Abbasi
Figure 4: Flow Chart showing sequence of Sample Preparation and Chemical Analysis
N ICP- AES
Figure 5: Histogram showing the comparative proximate analysis of four blocks as-received (Thar coal).
60
50
Percentage (%)
40
30
20
10
0
I II III IV
Block
Figure 6: Histogram showing the comparative heating values of four blocks as received (Thar coal).
6400
6000
5800
5600
5400
1I 2
II 3
III 4
IV
Block
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