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Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery,

Utilization, and Environmental Effects

ISSN: 1556-7036 (Print) 1556-7230 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ueso20

The effects of igneous intrusions on coal-


bed macerals, maturity, and adsorption

Wu Li, Yan-Ming Zhu & Hui Wang

To cite this article: Wu Li, Yan-Ming Zhu & Hui Wang (2017) The effects of igneous intrusions
on coal-bed macerals, maturity, and adsorption, Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization,
and Environmental Effects, 39:1, 58-66, DOI: 10.1080/15567036.2016.1200166

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15567036.2016.1200166

Published online: 28 Dec 2016.

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Download by: [University of Newcastle, Australia] Date: 17 January 2017, At: 04:20
ENERGY SOURCES, PART A: RECOVERY, UTILIZATION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
2017, VOL. 39, NO. 1, 58–66
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15567036.2016.1200166

The effects of igneous intrusions on coal-bed macerals, maturity,


and adsorption
Wu Lia, Yan-Ming Zhua, and Hui Wangb
a
Key Laboratory of Coalbed Methane Resource & Reservoir Formation Process, Ministry of
Education, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, China; bShunhe Coal
Mine,Yongcheng Coal Industry Company Limited, Yongcheng, China

ABSTRACT KEYWORDS
Coal samples JM, M1-M18 selected around dykes A and B from the Qiwu Coal; igneous intrusions;
mine were used to investigate the effects of igneous intrusions on coal-bed macerals; porosity;
macerals. The results of the experiments and calculations show that the vitrinite reflectance
vitrinite reflectance of coal samples decreases sharply from 3.4% to 0.72%
with increasing distance from dyke A and later remains at 0.8%. There are
many thermogenic pores in the micrograph of samples JM, M1, and M5,
while the pores of other samples are generally of the fusinite and telinite
types. The porosity of sample M5 is 12.99%, and the average pore size is
280 nm, which is greater than that of samples M6–M18, the pore sizes of
which range from 3.23% to 4.45% with an average of 17.8 nm. The V L and
3
PL for sample M1 are 8.44 m /t and 0.93 MPa, respectively. Based on the
3 3
change in VL, which ranges from 7.43 m /t to 8.67 m /t with an average of
3
8.14 m /t, the research area can be divided into three zones.

1. Introduction
The physicochemical properties of coal seams change under heating variations, which can lead to the
transformation of macerals (Xu et al., 2014). The mechanical properties of coal seams (Singh et al.,
2002) and their mineralogy and geochemistry (Schimmelmann et al., 2009) are also affected.
Additionally, coal seams around igneous intrusions follow a typical maturity series, which is useful
for investigating mine-safety problems, coal-bed methane capability (Gurba and Weber, 2001), the
macromolecular and pore structures of coal (Valentim et al., 2011), and the presence of gas (Wang et
al., 2013b). The metamorphic grade, micropore volume, amount of gas adsorbed, initial speed of gas
desorption, and amount of desorption all increase in the magma-affected area. Many key coalbed
methane (CBM) basins have been affected by igneous intrusions (Stewart et al., 2005; Wang et al.,
2013a). Some studies have focused on how the relationship between coal seam structure and CBM
capability is affected by igneous intrusion and CBM (Dias et al., 2014). As the gas adsorption barrier
was improved using micropores and fissures, the methane content of coal seams increased and their
oil generation decreased with decreasing distance (Gurba and Weber, 2001). However, the sorption
capacity decreased gradually when the vitrinite reflectance was beyond 3.4%. The porosity of coal
seams near igneous intrusions is greater than that of normal coal seams (Yao et al., 2011; Wu et al.,
2014). However, the heating model of igneous intrusions and its effects on macerals, maturity, and
adsorption should be given more attention. The present study concentrates primarily on the analysis
of igneous intrusions’ characteristics on coal using igneous intrusions. The objectives of the present
work are to calculate certain parameters; the temperature of the coal seam; the change in the maceral

CONTACT Wu Li liwucumt@126.com Key Laboratory of Coalbed Methane Resource & Reservoir Formation Process, Ministry
of Education, China University of Mining and Technology, No.1 Daxue Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221008, China.
Color versions of one or more of the figures in the article can be found online at www.tandfonline.com/ueso.
© 2017 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ENERGY SOURCES, PART A: RECOVERY, UTILIZATION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS 59

content as a function of the distance from dyke; and the adsorption capacity of coal affected by
igneous intrusions.

2. Samples and experiments


2.1 Sample preparation
Coal samples JM and M1-M18 were obtained from the face of upper coal bed No. 3 in the Qiwu
mine, China. Two sample sites were chosen because near-vertical dolerite dykes had been exposed in
the working face. Samples were collected from the intrusion out to a distance and the location of the
samples at the time of their collection is shown in Figure 1a.

2.2 Experiments
Proximate and ultimate analyses of the powdered coal samples were performed. The vitrinite
reflectance, maceral content, and pore characteristics were analyzed using a ZEISS microscope
photometer. The instrument used for measuring and testing the pore structure was a 9310 mercury
injection pore tester. The adsorption capacity of the coal samples was measured using an IS-100
Sorption and Desorption Isotherm. Six data points were recorded for each sample, and the equili-
brium time was more than 6 h under CH4.

2.3 Theory
The Easy Ro method can be described using first-order Arrhenius reactions. The vitrinite reflectance
is calculated from the following correlation relationship obtained by Jerry and Alan (1990): %Ro =
exp (−1.6 + 3.7°F). The maximum paleo temperature attained (Tpeak) can be calculated using the
mean vitrinite reflectance (Ro) in the following equation, which was established by Barker and
Pawlewicz (1994): Tpeak = (In (Ro) + 1.19)/0.00782.

3. Results and discussion


3.1 Coal maturity
Detailed information on vitrinite reflectance is shown in Table 1. The value of Ro, max-min for samples JM,
M1, and M5 is greater than 1%, which indicates asymmetrical optics. As expected, it can be seen that the
maturity decreases with increasing distance from dyke A, especially in a narrow area. The affected width is
approximately 4 m, which is one-third of the 28-m dyke. The mean maximum vitrinite reflectance ranges
from 0.72% to 0.94% for unheated coal and is nearly 3.4% for heated crosswise coal and 4.77% and 5.56%
for lengthwise coal and dandered coal, respectively, which indicates that the impact of an overhead coal
seam is more intense than other types of surroundings.
The parameter VRbc was calculated using the formula VRbc = (VRmax–VRmin)/VRmax. The value of
VRbc dropped to 20% at approximately 20 m above the igneous body (Gurba and Weber, 2001),
suggesting that the changes in bireflectance observed in Australian Coalbed Methane Yannergee
(ACMY) were complex and appeared to extend beyond the thermal aureoles. They reported that these
changes might have been due to the effect of stress imposed on the coal during intrusion, and the
bireflectance increased rapidly as the igneous intrusion approached during the thermal aureoles.
There are two different areas, one heated and the other unheated. The paleotemperature of the coal
samples was calculated by Easy Ro. The vitrinite reference of sample JM was 5.57%, which was
beyond the ceiling of Easy Ro (4.7%). Therefore, it could not be calculated by Easy Ro. The
paleotemperature of sample JM could have been 1,000–1,200°C, i.e. the igneous temperature. The
temperature was very high in sample JM, and decreased rapidly in the unheated area, going from
270°C to 159°C at 0.2–4.0 m and the remaining at 128°C in the background. Figure 1b shows that
the
60 W. LI ET AL.
Table 1. The vitrinite reflectance of samples JM and M1–M18.

Sample No. D (m) Romax/% SD −2 N Rmax Rmin Rmax–Rmin


Variance/10
JM 5.56 0.31 9.89 50 6.32 4.98 1.34
M1 0.5 4.77 0.27 7.08 50 5.49 4.09 1.4
M2 1 1.10 0.05 0.23 50 1.21 0.73 0.48
M3 1.5 1.05 0.03 0.10 50 1.18 0.72 0.46
M4 3 0.86 0.06 0.38 50 1.01 0.71 0.3
M5 0.2 3.40 0.78 60.67 50 4.70 1.99 2.71
M6 1 1.17 0.06 0.39 50 1.10 0.74 0.36
M7 2.5 1.14 0.08 0.66 50 1.10 0.66 0.44
M8 4 0.83 0.06 0.34 50 0.99 0.74 0.25
M9 6 0.80 0.04 0.12 50 0.89 0.73 0.16
M10 9 0.72 0.18 3.31 50 1.48 0.77 0.71
M11 13 0.79 0.11 1.13 50 1.18 0.67 0.51
M12 18 0.92 0.03 0.12 50 1.02 0.83 0.19
M13 25 0.84 0.03 0.07 50 0.88 0.77 0.11
M14 32 0.77 0.04 0.15 50 0.84 0.69 0.15
M15 42 0.76 0.07 0.50 50 1.30 0.97 0.33
M16 57 0.92 0.05 0.21 50 1.04 0.84 0.2
M17 72 0.78 0.05 0.23 50 0.94 0.70 0.24
M18 90 0.94 0.06 0.39 50 1.10 0.83 0.27

temperature was in the range from 128 to 1,000°C. The relationship between the distance from dyke
A and the temperature is exponential and expressed by the following formula: Y = 840.26122exp
2
(−X/0.09849) + 159.73609 with R = 0.9955.

3.2 Maceral characteristics


Samples M1 and M5 near dykes A and B had high vitrinite content. The maturity and the vitrinite
content of the coal increased systematically with temperature. Figure 2 shows that the vitrinite
content of samples M1 and M5 was more than 80%, and no exinite was found in them. The vitrinite
content increased as the distance decreased for samples M4 to M1. This result shows that the content
of some macerals, e.g. inertinite, reduced, while for other macerals (vitrinite) it increased. Fusinite
changed into semifusinite and macrinite for samples M4 and M3. The semifusinite content of sample
M3 was higher than that of sample M2, and bitaminite remained in samples M4–M2 but disappeared
in sample M1. Close to dyke B, there were bitaminites in samples M8–M6, but there was no
bitaminite in samples M5 and M9–M18, which was different from samples M4–M1.
Unaltered coal samples, e.g. M8 and M9, have high inertinite contents, containing consider-ably
more semifusinite than fusinite. Heat-altered coals (such as M1 and M5) adjacent to the intrusion
show the development of desmocollinite. As noted in Figures 3 and 4, the distributing characteristics
of bituminize are different in these coal samples, which is probability due to thermally induced
variations (Stewart et al., 2005). The texture of the coke immediately adjacent to the contact is a fine
mosaic, with abundant devolatilization vacuoles (M5 and M6 in Figure 3), precluding direct
comparison with vitrinite. The micrographs of coal sample M5 show that it contained numerous large
pores and that the macerals present were primarily desmocolinite with few telocollinite and inertinite
group members. The macerals in sample M6 contained cutinite and desmocollinite with a large
amount of microporinite, which appeared as layered distribution. The plant tissue pores were filled by
clay minerals and other macerals, e.g. exinites. Microporinite was present in the macerals vitrinite
and exinite, which were uniformly distributed in sample M7. Pores occur primarily in fusinite, and
there was a great deal of pyrofusinite. In sample M11, a great deal of microsporinite, macrinite, and
fusinite appeared in a layered distribution. Desmocollinite and cutinite were also found. There was
some telocollinite and microsporinite in it. The porosity of sample M15 was low. Small pores were
found in it (sample M18). The pores were generally plant cell pores.
ENERGY SOURCES, PART A: RECOVERY, UTILIZATION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS 61

Figure 1. (a) The distribution of sample collection locations. (b) The relationship between the temperature and the
distance from the contact point.

3.3 Coal porosity


Coal sample M5, collected near the igneous intrusion, had a high porosity ratio of value 12.99%,
while other samples’ ratios were less than 5%. This indicates that the igneous intrusion increased the
coal’s porosity significantly, which probably occurred during thermal evolution. The porosity of the
coke was 19.21%.
The total pore volume, derived from the mercury intrusion, total pore area, average pore size, bulk
density, and skeletal density, increased as the distance decreased. The median pore diameter by
volume of samples M1 (83.8 nm) and M5 (280 nm) was much greater than that of other samples, and
the median pore diameter by area of samples M1 and M5 was similar to that of the other samples.
3 2
The total pore volume (0.0287 cm /g) and total pore area (7.3973 cm /g) of sample M2, which was
collected 1.0 m away from dyke B, were greater than those of sample M6
62 W. LI ET AL.

Figure 2. A triangular diagram of the maceral content of the coal samples.

3 2
(0.0275 cm /g and 6.6391 cm /g, respectively), which was collected 1.2 m from dyke A. This result
indicates that the effect of igneous intrusions is greater on an overlying coal seam than on a lateral
coal seam. The relationship between the median pore diameter by volume and the total pore volume
2 2
is expressed by the following polynomial: y = 148,176x – 11,893x + 233.99 with R
= 0.9977. The relationship between the average pore size and the porosity is y = 9.932Ln(x) –
2
24.181, R = 0.9581 (Figure 4). The graph of the macerals shows that there were some large pores in
samples M1, JM, and M5. Hence, these samples were more porous and had larger average pore sizes.

3.4 Adsorption capacity


As for the gas adsorption capacity, the Langmuir volume (VL) represents the maximum adsorption
capacity of coals at a constant temperature (Yao et al., 2011). Based on the changes in VL, which
3 3 3
ranges from 7.43 m /t to 8.67 m /t with an average of 8.14 m /t, the following area can be divided
into three zones. The relationship between VL and the distance from the contact point is a cubic
polynomial function. VL decreases little in Zone 1, reaches the minimum value in Zone 2, and
decreases in Zone 3 (Figure 5).
Zone 1: This zone, which is located at a distance of 0–1.1 m, includes coal near igneous
intrusions. Some of the coal changed into cokeite, which has numerous large pores caused by serious
thermal effects of igneous intrusions. However, the methane adsorptive capacity of coal decreased
with the specific surface area. As discussed above, the temperature decreased rapidly; therefore, the
adsorption capacity did not change significantly. Zone 2: This zone lies on the coal roof at a distance
of 1.1–4.0 m. The increase in vitrinite reflectance was impacted by thermal effects. The coal rank
evolved from low to high. Additionally, the capacity of the coal to adsorb CH 4 is low without an
increase in the amount of exsudatinite for bituminite developing as the invasive process
ENERGY SOURCES, PART A: RECOVERY, UTILIZATION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS 63

Figure 3. Some micrographs of the macerals in coal.


64 W. LI ET AL.

1400 2
Median pore diameter 1200
y = 148176x - 11893x + 233.99 b
2
R = 0.9977
volume/nm 1000
800
600
400
200
0
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 0.14
3
Total mercury volume/cm /g

25 c
y = 9.932Ln(x) - 24.181
20
Porosity/%
R2 = 0.9581
15

10

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Average pore size/nm

Figure 4. (a) The relationship between porosity and distance from the intrusion. (b) The relationship between
median pore diameter volume and total mercury volume; the relationship between porosity and average pore size.

fills space in the coal. Zone 3: When the distance from dyke A was more than 4 m away, the capacity
of coal to adsorb CH4 decreased to its normal value.

3.5 Structural evolution during slow burial versus near-instantaneous maturation


The coal’s molecular structure changed with the igneous intrusion. The change in the characteriza-
tion of its macerals, its maturity, and its adsorption capacity could have contributed to the depletion
of aliphatic compounds. Some of the coal parameters, e.g. VRmax, VRbc, temperature, and porosity,
decreased as the distance from the intrusion increased, in agreement with the changes in the aromatic
structures of the carbons (Cao et al., 2013).
ENERGY SOURCES, PART A: RECOVERY, UTILIZATION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS 65

Figure 5. Regression analyses of VL and the distance from magmatic rocks.

4. Conclusions
The chemical property of short-range bituminous coal with two dykes intrusion changes due to the
thermally of coal seam. Under the effect of thermal evolution and entrapment of the dyke, the
vitrinite reflectance decreased sharply from 3.4% to 0.72% as the distance from the intrusion
increased (0.2–4 m) and subsequently remained at 0.8% (4–90 m). The width affected by vitrinite
reflectance was approximately 4 m or one-seventh of the dike (28 m). There were many thermogenic
pores in the micrograph of sample M1, and the other samples’ pores were primarily of the fusinite
and telinite types. The porosity of sample M5 was 12.99%, which was greater than those of samples
M6–M18, which ranged from 3.23% to 4.45%. The values of VL and PL for sample M1 were 8.44
3
m /t and 0.93 MPa, respectively. According to the coal seam distribution of igneous dyke, vitrinite
reflectance, gas adsorption capacity, and pore characteristics, the following area can be divided into
three zones. The change in the characterization of its macerals, its maturity, and its adsorption
capacity could have contributed to the depletion of aliphatic compounds.

Funding
The authors gratefully acknowledge support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41472135,
No. 41072117, and No. 41430317). The authors also thank the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China
(Grant No. BK20160243) and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation funded project (No. 2015M581878).
66 W. LI ET AL.

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