Mining Engineering Commons^™

Characterization Of Rare Earth Elements In The Illinois Basin Coals, Alireza Valian

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

The purpose of this study is to characterize the distribution and occurrence of rare earth elements (REEs) in the coal and coal-related material from the Illinois Basin. For characterizing the distribution of REEs, 17 core samples were investigated from various parts in the basin. Also, several individual samples from coal preparation plants and isolated geological occurrences were included in the study. In result, the average REE concentrations were calculated on a bed-to-bed basis, although the distribution of REEs in the coal beds was found laterally and vertically heterogeneous. A number of trends were found that describe the variations. Most importantly, …