Abstract
Lignite is currently strip mined in Freestone County for fuel in electric generating plants. Similar mining operations will be conducted in the Milam County area in the near future. Lignite core samples were obtained from Milam and Freestone Counties in East Central Texas. The lignite seams in the Milam County cores ranged from 0.4 to 2.2 m in thickness and Freestone County cores were 0.4 to 1.3 m thick. The remainder of the cores consisted of sand, shale, and intermixed shale and lignite. Total sulfur in the lignite seams from both counties was approximately 1.3% on a dry weight basis. Shale averaged 0.7% total sulfur and sand had approximately 0.08% total sulfur. Total sulfur concentrations were usually highest near lignite seam fringes. Sulfate sulfur was usually <0.1%, except for some cores from Freestone County that had been air dried prior to analysis. Pyritic sulfur ranged from 0.01 to 2.4% and 0.01 to 5.0% for Milam and Freestone Counties, respectively. Concentration of pyritic sulfur was highest in the overburden and underburden near lignite seam fringes. Organic sulfur was highest in the lignite seams and was from 0.1 to 1.6% and 0.02 to 10.4% for Milam and Freestone counties, respectively. Organic sulfur was determined by difference rather than an actual measurement per se..
Pugh, Clifford Earl (1978). Influence of surface area and morphology on the oxidation of pyrite from Texas lignite. Texas A&M University. Texas A&M University. Libraries. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /DISSERTATIONS -199079.