Trace Elements in West Virginia Coals
Rubidium
(Rb) Summary Statistics
Rubidium shows a histogram skewed to lower values with a significant
tail of higher values and a mean whole coal Rb of 23.62 ppm (± 21.13
ppm) in West Virginia coals. A maximum value of 161.0 ppm was found
in a bench of the Stockton coal. Rubidium correlated moderately with
ash yield, very highly with cesium (Cs), and moderately to slightly with
ash related elements such as chromium (Cr), vanadium (V), scandium (Sc),
samarium (Sm), gallium (Ga), thorium (Th), tellurium (Te) and lithium (Li).
Rubidium also slightly correlated with rare earth elements present in monazite,
especially cerium (Ce), lanthanum (La) and lutetium (Lu). The high
correlation with Cs is suspect, but Cs is known to occur in nature in close
association with Rb because of their similar atomic radii, for example
in the mineral pollucite (CsAlSi2O6) which has never
been documented in coal, but these two elements most likely substitute
for potassium (K) in clay minerals.
Spearman Correlation Coefficients (r) with Rubidium
|
Ash Yield
|
Cs
|
Cr
|
V
|
Sc
|
Sm
|
Ga
|
Th
|
Te
|
Lu
|
Ce
|
Li
|
La
|
|
+0.7473
|
+0.9135
|
+0.6817
|
+0.6552
|
+0.6546
|
+0.6373
|
+0.6265
|
+0.6204
|
+0.6143
|
+0.6090
|
+0.6087
|
+0.6056
|
+0.6029
|
|
n = 403
|
n = 403
|
n = 403
|
n = 403
|
n = 403
|
n = 120
|
n = 403
|
n = 399
|
n = 105
|
n = 120
|
n =120
|
n = 403
|
n = 120
|
| To request specific information from a Survey
geologist click here. |
Page last revised: March 2, 2002
Please send questions, comments, and/or suggestions to webmaster.
Page created and maintained by:
West Virginia Geological & Economic Survey
Address: Mont Chateau Research Center
Cheat Lake exit off I-68
P.O. Box 879
Morgantown, WV 26507-0879
Telephone: 1-800-WV-GEOLOgy (1-800-984-3656) or 304-594-2331
FAX: 304-594-2575
Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST, Monday - Friday
Permission to reproduce this material is granted if acknowledgment is
given to the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey.
