The quantitative determination of FeS₂ phases in coal by means of ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy

A knowledge of the concentration of pyrite and marcasite in coals can provide important insight into the genesis of coal deposits. Determinations of the relative amounts of pyrite and marcasite by traditional methods of coal analysis are, however, beset with many difficulties. Using ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy and a mild chemical treatment with hydrofluoric acid, a technique has been devised for the quantitative determination of the relative concentrations of pyrite and marcasite in samples of whole coals or their low-temperature ashes. The sample preparation procedure is comparable to less accurate methods. Good qualitative agreement has been obtained between ore microscopic and Mössbauer spectroscopic techniques for a series of extensively investigated whole coal samples.