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THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

June 9, 1916.

RUSSIAN COAL RESERVES.

A Russian correspondent controverts the views
expressed by Mr. I. Tugan-Baranovsky on the coal
reserves of Russia, and the statement that Russia is
certainly poor in fuel if we consider the coal reserves in
relation to the extent of the country, that idea being
based on a purely arithmetical table. As a matter of
fact, Russians know very little about the mineral wealth
of their country generally, and the deposits of fuel in
particular. The Donetz, Moscow, and Dombrofi basins
are regarded as constituting the whole sources of mineral
fuel; and Moscow coal is usually considered as of but
doubtful importance as a substitute for Donetz coal or
Baku petroleum.

Doubtless, at the present moment, Moscow coal is
very important, but in considering the future of Russia,
and sketching the basis of an economic policy in rela-
tion thereto, such a valuation of the Moscow deposits is
incorrect. The technique of the burning of fuel has
already developed so far that Moscow coal can no longer
be considered as equal in value, for industrial purposes,
to Donetz coal, though it might be utilised, in accord-
ance with the ideas of Mendelieff and Ramsay, by burn-
ing it in situ for producer gas.

Another still more neglected coal area is that part of
Russia which is situated eastwards of the Donetz basin.

There, in the Volhynia and Kieff governments and
adjacent localities, there are certainly extensive deposits
of brown coal, which up till now have been quite neg-
lected, it being easier and more convenient to get coal
from the Don than to undertake the search for and
production of brown coal, the rational use of which
requires special conditions, for example, in view of the
existing market for the chemical products obtained in
burning this type of coal. Notwithstanding this, how-
ever, it seems probable that for the future of Russia,'
which Mr. Tugan-Baranovsky seems to regard as purely
agricultural, these western brown coal deposits are of
great significance.

The general public at present knows very little
about these coals, and the brown coal deposits
in the kingdom of Poland (now exploited to only
a. negligible extent), but it is important that such
deposits exist, and therefore constitute special reserves
for setting. up a series of factories in districts where
otherwise agriculture would be the sole industry.

Turning from western European Russia to the east,
the opinion prevails that the Ural district unfortunately
does not possess mineral fuel, this opinion being shared
by a number of professors and technical men, including
D. I. Mendelieff. Fortunately for the future of Russian
industry, however, this alleged lack of coal deposits is a
point that has been considered solely from the point of
view of the iron smelter. True, there is no metallur-
gical coal in the Ural, but there is coal of another
quality, and also anthracite, apparently quite good. Of
late years a good deal of information on all the new and
newly-opened coal deposits on the eastern slopes and
also- in the Southern Ural has been obtained, and
though the investigating committee is still unable to
make any exact calculations of the reserves of these
coals, this does not imply that there is no industrial
future before that part of Russia. Up to now, it is so
little known that, for example, in the Cheliabinsk region
one cannot either calculate the reserves of coal under
ground, or even estimate the actual production of coal
there. To the south and south-east of the Ural there
is a literally unknown region, but even the disconnected
statements made by tourists wdio have visited the dis-
trict show the existence of large coal deposits in many
parts. Thus, for example, reports have recently been
made on the deposits of coal on the peninsula of
Mangyshlaka, a district of which even less is known
than Uganda. The information as to the coals of
Turkestan is also exceedingly limited; but the very
numerous deposits known to exist there do not justify
an assumption that the industrial future of that country
is assured. As to the Caucasus, there are undoubtedly
great deposits of coal there, not to mention the already
known Nachshiro-Tkvibulsk; and again the great
Tkvarchelsk deposits resemble the deposits of coal in
the Upper Kuban, now yielding only a few thousand
tons of coal per annum, but occupying an immense area
and distinguished by their relatively high quality as
fuel.

Thus, of all European Russia, the only part devoid of
mineral fuel appears to be North-Western Russia, that
is, practically the Baltic district; but the whole question
of developing the mineral fuel resources requires to be
taken up energetically, and it is not until this has been
done that the problem whether Russia should remain for
ever behind the plough, or whether she is destined to
become one of the great industrial Powers, can be
definitely settled.

On the same subject, Mr. E. J. Reid, in Russia, says
it is very difficult to make any accurate estimate of
Russia’s coal resources, for the figures given in reference
books are usually unaccompanied by an explanation of
the bases upon which they are founded, so that it is
almost impossible to reconcile their varying totals. For
instance, the reserves of European Russia are variously
given at figures ranging from 50,000 to 75,000 million
tons, while according to one estimate the Donetz field
alone possesses 70,000 million tons. The average figure
for European Russia seems to be about 60,000 million
tons, about two-fifths of the reserve of Great Britain.
At least five-sixths of this is contained in the Donetz
basin, which has large deposits of anthracite, consisting
of 85 per cent, of carbon, a good proportion for boiler
fuel. It is estimated that there are 2,500 million tons
of this within 700 ft. of the surface, contained in seams
of not less than 21 in.

The coal beds of the Donetz have been subjected to
great disturbances in the course of their formation,
causing inequalities of pressure, which results in quan-
tities of anthracite being found in proximity to flame

coals containing a very low percentage of carbon. The
Government has decided to purchase a number of mines
in this district,'with a view to making the State railways
independent of imported coal. About 3,000,000 tons of
coke are produced annually in the Donetz region.

The second most important coal field is that of the
Dombrov, which supports the manufacturing industry
of Poland. Its output in 1912 was about 6,000,000 tons,
and several new pits have since been opened. This coal
is of no value for metallurgy, as it does not coke well.
The field is at present within the war zone.

The Ural coal field is developing rapidly in conse-
quence of the growing scarcity of wood fuel in this
district. This coal cannot be used in the working of
the valuable, mines of these mountains, as it does not
coke, but deposits of dry ccal have recently been dis-
covered at Orenburg, near the southern extremity of
the Ural chain.

The Moscow coal field produces a very inferior kind
of coal, with a high percentage of sulphur. It can only
be used locally, and occurs in such thin scams that
mechanical coal cutters will have to be extensively
introduced if it is to become of much value.

The Caucasian coal fields, fairly near important copper
and iron mines, produce a good coking coal. It does
not bear carriage .well unless briquetted.

Several new coal fields have recently been discovered
in European Russia, which promise to prove much
better all round in quality than any of those already
worked. Most of them contain a preponderance of
anthracite.

FUEL ECONOMY.

At a meeting of the Yorkshire Junior Gas Association
at Leeds Institute, on the 3rd inst., Mr. John W. Lee,
coke oven manager at Grassmoor Colliery, Chesterfield,
road a paper on “ Fuel Economy.” The President of
the association (Mr. John Dcmaine, of Garforth Gas
Company) presided. Mr. Lee, whilst applying his remarks
primarily to the gas-producing industry, indulged in a
wider review of the subject of the pres ent-time need for
economy in the utilisation of coal and .its by-products by
fuel users of all kinds. He complimented the gas
engineers upon having, a.s a class, accomplished perhaps
greater economy in fuel utilisation on their own particu-
lar type of plant than had any other class of fuel users,
but he dwelt particularly on the great waste of coal and
by-product fuels on boiler plants. The subject of fuel
economy had been much before engineers lately, from
a hundred and one points of view. Prof. Bone, in his
lectures at the Royal Institution, had laid down the
broad principles of the utilisation of coal, and, aided by
-the members of the Fuel Economy Committee, had
brought before the country striking facts.

We had heard, and in a measure rightly, of available
gases—-coke oven, blast furnace, etc.—not ’being utilised
at all, or in an uneconomical manner. Some admirable
schemes of central power stations had been promul-
gated. There was much room for improvement in coal
utilisation in this direction, but he was certain that
many Acts of Parliament would need serious examina-
tion and amendment, in order that many small places
might receive an economical gas supply, and little less
than a revolution would be necessary before the' weal of
the Empire was raised to paramount position. Further,
the clash of opinion amongst experts as to the adoption
of gas engines or steam turbines for the utilisation of
the available power, and whether it should be distributed
as gas at high or low pressure, or as high-tension elec-
tricity, and, what was more important still, the lack of
data which would assist the ordinary engineer in coming
to a decision, all contributed to delay. The experience
of gas engineers, in the delay in obtaining material for
imperative repairs, even when such material had been
awarded a place by the priority department, suggested
that not one such scheme, large or small, had much
chance of being brought to a successful issue in sufficient
time for any advantages which might accrue to be
available during .the period of the war. Mr. ’Lee
suggested that the energies of the Fuel Economy Com-
mittee should be turned into another channel—that of
giving immediate direction to all fuel users for power
purposes as to the most economical manner of working
the plant at their disposal. This would yield an
immediate saving which it was difficult to put into
terms of percentage without seeming to exaggerate. Ho
was certain that the results on works run on proper fines
would be surprising, and on some plants would be
staggering. Engineers should enrol as “fuel savers.”
They would, of course, at the outset, come into conflict
with fhe “ practical “ man, who had “seen boilers
before the engineers were born,” and knew all about
them. Mr. Lee praised the great attention paid by gas
engineers to their retort settings, and to the fact that
they, as a class, had probably done more towards real
fuel economy than any other class of fuel users, but said
they were too busy thinking in terms of carbonisation,
purification, and toluol extraction to give a thought to
what might prove to be the least efficient portion of the
plant, viz., the boilers. The fireman, often untrained
and sometimes untrainable, was left in charge, and when
his steam was low advanced his one stock excuse—the
fuel. Firemen must be taken into confidence and gently
lectured on the importance of utilising, not the best
breeze or other costly material which happened to be
available, but the most economical fuel which could be
supplied to them. Fuel waste was of two kinds : avoid-
able and unavoidable. The latter might amount to
from 40 per cent, to 50 per cent., and be divided amongst
such items as radiation, heat in chimney gas necessary
for draught purposes, heat in ashes, etc. In the former
—which might reach an equally high figure'—were
included losses due to radiation, ash handling, incom-
plete combustion, air leakage, and excess. Examination
of the insulation for soundness, and of the ashes for
coke and coal, would prevent 20 per cent, to 25 per cent.

<3?

of the avoidable loss. Of the remainder, up to 70 per
cent, would be due to excess of air, which must bo
reduced by all means possible.

In the course of a discussion which followed, several
members agreed that the difficulty of ensuring that the
men used economical fuel instead of the better material
which was usually available in a gas works yard, was a
serious one. In answer to questions, Mr. Lee said his
concern used no gaseous firing for the boilers. They
had a number of boilers under waste heat, and they
raised the whole of the steam they required on their
coke ovens from their waste heat, and vrere also able to
supply waste heat for the colliery boilers. Though they
were colliery and coke-oven men, they had some right
io a claim as gas engineers, because they supplied seven
or eight hundred thousand cubic feet per day for gas
engines, lighting, gas fires, and other purposes. One
speaker referred to the use of coal in the open grate fire
—-however great the British prejudice in its favour
might be—as nothing less than wicked waste, and the
question seemed to him to arise whether, particularly in
a time like the present, the nation was justified in
allowing the use of coal in this way.

THE ATMOSPHERIC OXIDATION OF
IRON PYRITES.*

By T. F. Winmill, B.A., B Sc.

Among the various theories proposed to account for
the spontaneous ignition of coal, one which has at times
been very strongly held is that the initial heating is due
to the oxidation of iron pyrites. On the other hand, it
has been proved that the atmospheric oxidation of coal
itself is quite sufficient to explain the nature and origin
of gob-fires without the intervention of any other sub-
stance’; although it is possible that pyrites may some-
times be a contributory factor to the initial heating. At
the outset much very contradictory evidence is met with.
In South Yorkshire, for example, pyrites is commonly
found with the coal, either in large and. heavy lumps, or
in very thin bright yellow veins. Such pyrites may be
kept exposed to the air for several years without the
brightness of the surface being dimmed or the most
delicate tests detecting any sign of oxidation. Pyrites
m this highly crystalline form is obviously not concerned
m the spontaneous heating of coal. On the other hand,
lumps of inferior coal, associated with some seams,
especially some in North Staffordshire, when exposed to
the air for a few months, disintegrate completely, and
fall to a greyish mass of ferrous sulphate and coal dust,
leaving no possible doubt of the. very considerable oxida-
tion of pyrites which has occurred. Many seams in
which oxidation of pyrites is evident are notoriously
subject to gob-fires, and it is not unreasonable to connect
the two facts, and to suppose that the presence of pyrites
is the determining factor. In view, however, of the
totally different behaviour of the pyrites in South York-
shire, where the coal and not the pyrites is to be held
responsible for heatings, some samples of North Stafford-
shire coals have been examined. Despite the fact that
the seams from which they were taken were liable to
fire, the coals proved to be among the least oxidiisable of
any, indicating that in this particular district the pyrites
might have some considerable share in the heating. In
order to settle this point, the atmospheric oxidation of
pyrites has been examined in some detail.

Iron pyrites, when free, of course, from foreign
matter, is a definite chemical compound of iron and
sulphur, represented by the formula. FeS2. It has been
known for a very long time that this compound on
exposure to the air might undergo considerable oxida-
tion, with the production of heat and the formation of
ferrous sulphate and sulphuric acid; in fact, this reaction
was at one time the main source of concentrated
sulphuric acid. The formation of ferric sulphate does
not take place to any considerable extent until all the
pyrites has disappeared, for ferric sulphate in a slightly
acid solution to wffiich pyrites has been added is fairly
quickly reduced to ferrous sulphate, although the reduc-
tion is not complete. When, however, the temperature
is raised to anything approaching a red heat, the final
products are quite different, sulphur dioxide and ferric
oxide being produced; but this reaction has, of course,
no importance from the point of view of the origin of
spontaneous heating, since it will only occur when the
whole mass is red hot.

Heat produced by the Atmospheric Oxidation of
Pyrites.—If pyrites is to exert any considerable effect on
the spontaneous heating of coal, it must produce a con-
siderable quantity of heat during its oxidation. No
direct measurement of -this quantity has been made until
now; but, from the known heats of the formation of the
products, viz.:—FeS2 = 52-5K (large calories); H20
(liquid) = 69-OK (Berthelot); FeS04 7H2O = 240K (Le
Chatelier); and H2SO4 (concentrated liquid) = 193K
(Thomson), the heat of reaction has been calculated as

= (2 x 240 + 2 X 193) - (2 x 52-5 + 2 x 69) = 623K ;
that is, the absorption by pyrites of seven pound mole-
cules (or 2241b.) of oxygen is sufficient to raise
623,0001b. of Avater 1 deg. Cent, in temperature; or,
otherwise expressed, 1 cu. cm. of oxygen absorbed by
pyrites produces 4 calories.

Allowing 43 calories for the heat of dilution of the
acid by the water, and the heat of reaction of the
diluted acid with the carbonates present, then if no
ferric salts are produced, the oxidation of pyrites in situ
will produce about 666K, or 4-3 calories per cubic centi-
metre of oxygen absorbed. If ferric salts are produced
to' any extent, this quantity of heat would be increased,
but probably only to a very slight extent, viz., 671K, or
almost the same as for the reaction in which the oxida-
tions stopped at the ferrous stage.

* From a paper read before the Institution of Mining
Engineers.