Relative concentrations of the major mineral phases have been determined on 75 bench-channel samples of the Upper Freeport coal collected near Homer City, Pennsylvania. Spearman rank correlation coefficients (non-parametric) were determined on a data matrix which consisted of the X-ray diffraction data, the major oxide concentrations, heat content, total sulfur, and maceral concentrations. At the 95% confidence level, illite and kaolinite are correlated with Si, Al, Mg, and K as well as with vitrinite, vitrodetrinite, inertrodetrinite, fusinite, semifusinite, and macrinite. Quartz is correlated with Si, Al, Mg, and K and is strongly correlated with all of the inertinites except micrinite. Clay and quartz are not correlated with exinites; however, pyrite is correlated with micrinite and all the exinites as well as with C, S, Ca, Fe, and Na. Calcite is correlated with heat content, S, Ca, and Fe but not with any macerals. However, elemental Ca, as CaO, is correlated with spornite and micrinite. Statistical correlations imply genetic relations but not necessarily observed mineral-maceral-element associations.

The X-ray mineralogy data are consistent with our working hypothesis on the origin of the mineral matter in coal, which in part states that inherent plant mineral matter was the primary source of the quartz and clay components of the Upper Freeport coal ash. Pyrite and calcite are thought to be indirectly related to bacterial degradation because of their statistically distinct associations.

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