Geochemical and Quality Assessment of Ikpabacha Coal in the Northern Anambra Basin of Nigeria

Abstract

Coal is a combustible material consisting mainly of organic components (macerals) and minor inorganic components (minerals). The potential relevance of coal in metallurgical, power generation, and other industries depends on these components. Coal is considered one of the cheapest and most reliable energy sources responsible for electricity production worldwide. Hence, in sourcing coking coals for metallurgical industries and thermal coals for power generation in the country, coal samples from the Ikpabacha coal deposit in the northern Anambra Basin of Nigeria have been subjected to proximate analysis, ultimate analysis, calorific value determination, and free swelling index test primarily to determine the suitability of the coal for metallurgical processes and power generation. Results from the proximate analysis indicated that the average composition of the coal includes 18.70% moisture, 3.36% ash, 34.67% volatile matter, and 43.27% fixed carbon. The ultimate analysis also revealed that coal, on average, consists of 47.62% carbon, 3.47% hydrogen, 1.30% nitrogen, 13.43% oxygen, 1.06% sulphur, and 0.002% phosphorus. The coal has, on average, H/C ratio of 0.07 and O/C ratio of 0.28. The average heating (calorific) value of the coal samples is 8185 Btu/Ib (4547.59 kcal/kg), and it has a free swelling index (FSI) of zero (0). These characteristics suggest that coal is non-coking and cannot be used in the metallurgical industry to manufacture iron and steel. However, coal is appropriate for electricity generation, boilers, and ovens in industrial heating.