Normative mineral composition of high-temperature coal ashes from the Sydney basin coalfields,Australia

Chemical differences in the composition of high-temperature coal ashes of major economic seams of the Sydney Basin were studied using a normative analysis. All chemical data were recalculated to normative mineral assemblages consisting of: quartz, kaolinite and illite. Quartz and clay minerals, the principal constituents of mineral matter occurring in coals, account for most of the variations found in the chemical composition of high-temperature coal ashes between seams of various stratigraphic levels and/or geographic locations. Ternary diagrams based on the quantitative relation of quartz, kaolinite and illite were used to demonstrate these differences.