Surface chemical analysis in coal preparation research: complementary information from XPS and ToF-SIMS

The application of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to coal surface characterisation for preparation research is described. Progress towards the acquisition of complementary surface chemical information by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) is also discussed. Surface-based beneficiation techniques such as flotation are assuming greater importance as the proportion of fines in raw coal increases due to the proliferation of high capacity mining methods. A necessary condition for the floatability of a coal particle is adequate hydrophobicity, and the degree of hydrophobicity of the flotation concentrate is one factor influencing the ease with which its dewatering can be affected. The hydrophobicity of a coal is very difficult to measure directly because of microporosity, and it is often necessary to deduce the degree of hydrophobicity from a knowledge of the surface chemistry. XPS is able to provide sufficient analytical data to allow relative levels of hydrophobicity to be estimated. In principle, ToF-SIMS should be able to supply additional information enabling refinement of such estimates; however, there are insufficient data at present to allow the ionic fragments detected to be related to specific functional groups at the coal surface.     

Study of celestite flotation efficiency using sodium dodecyl sulfonate collector: factorial experiment and statistical analysis of data

Flotation tests of synthetic mixtures of celestite (SrSO₄) and calcite (CaCO₃) minerals using sodium dodecyl sulfonate as collector were carried out using a factorial experimental design 2³. The independent experimental variables included celestite grade in the feed (50% and 90% SrSO₄), conditioning pH (6.5 and 9) and sodium silicate depressant concentration (10⁻⁵ and 10⁻³ M). All experiments were performed at a constant collector concentration (10⁻⁴ M) and conditioning time of 15 min. The response variables were recovery and grade of SrSO₄ in the concentrate.The factors that had the greatest effect on the grade and recovery of celestite were the celestite grade in the feed (L) and the depressant concentration (C); also the combination of these factors significantly affected the response variables. The highest celestite yield (96% recovery, 98% grade) was obtained when a 90% of celestite grade in the feed was used.     

矿区地下水系统水质分类判别的多元统计分析

以某矿区地下水系统为例,对该矿区地下水水化学资料进行了多元统计分析方法耦合应用研究,主要包括利用因子分析对存在相关关系的离子变量进行空间降维处理,找出能够反映众多离子信息的基础变量(正交因子),以其作为系统聚类变量;运用系统聚类法获取能代表各地下水子系统水化学特征的典型水样;使用贝叶斯逐步线性判别分析建立地下水各子系统水化学判别模型(判别函数),并对随机检验样品进行判别归属和判别模型统计检验。结果表明:这是一种稳定性较好且切实有效的、适用于矿区地下水系统水化学分类及水源水化学判别的方法。     

Identification of the origin of salinization in groundwater using multivariate statistical analysis and geochemical modeling: a case study of Kaohsiung,Southwest Taiwan

The study of brine aquifers in southern Taiwan is highly complicated by hybrid geochemical reactions, which obscure important geochemical information. Using multivariate analysis on major and minor ion compositions normalized by Cl⁻ content, chemical constituents were combined into two principal components representing brine mixing and mineral precipitation. Comparing to multivariate analysis on the original data, this procedure reveals more geochemical information. It demonstrates that the brine groundwater of the region is primarily composed of highly evaporated seawater. The evaporation ratio is >70%; a point at which calcite, dolomite and gypsum precipitate. Oxygen and hydrogen isotopic compositions confirm this inference; and further, geochemical modeling quantitatively determined the evaporation ratio to be about 85%. Natural boron contamination is a consequence of brine groundwater. Two evolutionary trends in the plotting of the Cl/B ratio versus Cl⁻ can be identified: (1) Cl/B ratio decreases with boron being released from clay minerals when brine aquifers are flushed with freshwater; and (2) Cl/B ratio increases when seawater of a high Cl/B ratio infiltrates coastal aquifers.     

多元统计法在河水主要离子含量变化特征及来源分析中的运用——以梧州水文站控制断面为例

文章利用2011年4月到2012年3月对梧州水文站控制断面进行的定期采样数据,分析了该断面河水中主要阴、阳离子的化学组成,并运用多元统计分析方法研究和探讨了河水化学组成变化特征。结果表明,梧州水文站控制断面河水水化学类型以Ca2+ + HCO3-型为主,Na+、Ca2+、Mg2+、HCO3-、SO42-、NO3- 主要来源于岩石的风化,K+ 、Cl-来自于人类活动的输入;河水中离子化学组成受水—岩作用和土壤表面离子交换作用影响,对河水溶质的贡献率分别为69.34％、17.10％。     

低阻油层成因分析及识别方法—以鄂尔多斯盆地盐池地区延长组长4+5段为例

近年来,低阻油层在鄂尔多斯盆地三叠系延长组不断被发现,逐渐成为主要产油层。针对鄂尔多斯盆地盐池地区长4+5低阻油层,通过岩芯观察、铸体薄片鉴定、扫描电镜观察、黏土矿物X射线衍射及高压压汞等分析测试,研究该地区长4+5低阻油层成因,认为构造圈闭幅度低、束缚水饱和度与地层水矿化均较高等是造成油层电阻率低的主要因素。利用交会图版法、电阻率差异法及计算自然电位差法3种方法,结合试油资料,对低阻油层进行定性识别。     

D/H ratios of atmospheric H2 in urban air: results using new methods for analysis of nano-molar H2 samples

We present the results of a study of the concentration and D/H ratio of molecular hydrogen from air in the Los Angeles Basin and adjacent San Gabriel Mountains. These data define a mixing relationship in dimensions of D/H ratio vs. 1/(H₂) which constrains the δD_VSMOW of unpolluted winter air in this region to be ca. +100 to +125 ‰ and that of urban H₂ sources to be ca. −270 ‰. This study makes use of a new method for measuring the deuterium content of molecular hydrogen in small samples (∼100 to 500 cc) of air, which we describe in detail. The method consists of an off-line separation of H₂ followed by introduction to the mass spectrometer in a continuous flow of He. Off-line, all components of an atmospheric gas sample, with the exception of He, H₂, and Ne are condensed by exposure to a cold-trap held at 30 Kelvin. This separation is followed by cryo-transfer of non-condensable gases to a small volume molecular sieve finger, with assist from a mercury piston pump. At the mass spectrometer, the sample is put in line with a continuous flow of He where it is focused on to an additional column of molecular sieve before subsequent introduction into the ion source. Analyses of DH/H₂ ratio have accuracy and precision of ±4 to 7 per mil. Comparison of sample peak area to peak areas of standards of known size allows for determination of H₂ concentration with accuracy and precision of ∼±5%, relative. The method reduces sample size and processing time by several orders of magnitude compared to previous methods, allowing for sampling at proportionately higher spatial and temporal resolution.