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Abstract: Aluminum-hydroxide (boehmite)-rich Pennsylvanian coals of high volatile A bituminous rank were found previously in the Jungar Coalfield, Inner Mongolia, China. This paper reports new results on 48 bench samples of the CP2 coal from the adjacent Adaohai Mine, Daqingshan Coalfield, Inner Mongolia, and provides new insights into the origin and modes of occurrence of the minerals and elements present in the CP2 coal. Compared to the same coal in the adjacent mines, the CP2 coal in the Adaohai Mine has a higher rank (Ro, ran =1.58%), which is attributed to igneous intrusions during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous Epochs. The proportion of inertinite (35.3%) in the coal is higher than that in other Late Paleozoic coals in northern China but lower than that in the Jungar coals. Minerals in the CP2 coal include diaspore, boehmite, gorceixite, calcite, dolomite, siderite, clay minerals (kaolinite and ammonian illite), and trace amounts of anatase, fluorapatite, quartz, and pyrite. Based on mineral proportions in the coal bench samples, the CP2 coal may be divided into four Zones (I to IV) from bottom to top. The major mineral in Zones I and IV is kaolinite. Zones II and III are mainly composed of ammonian illite, diaspore, boehmite, gorceixite, calcite, dolomite, and siderite. Diaspore-, boehmite-, and gorceixite-forming materials were derived from oxidized bauxite in the weathered crust of the Benxi Formation in the sediment-source region during peat accumulation. However, gorceixite may have formed earlier than diaspore; the diaspore was derived from gibbsite that was subjected to dehydration by the heat of the igneous intrusions. The ammonian illite may have been formed at a relatively high temperature by interaction of kaolinite with nitrogen released from the organic matter in the coal during metamorphism caused by the igneous intrusion. The calcite and dolomite occur as epigenetic cell- and fracture-fillings and were probably derived from the igneous fluids. Compared to the common Chinese and world coals, the CP2 coal is enriched in CaO (1.69%), MgO (0.32%), P2O5 (0.214%), F (207μg/g), Ga (16.3μg/g), Zr (446μg/g), Ba (276μg/g), Hg (0.33μg/g), and Th (12.4μg/g), but has a lower SiO2/Al2O3 ratio due to the higher proportions of diaspore, boehmite, and gorceixite in the coal. The F occurs mainly in gorceixite and fluorapatite. The major carriers of Ga are diaspore and kaolinite but not gorceixite. Barium mainly occurs in gorceixite and barite. Mercury was probably derived from the igneous intrusion and is distributed in both the organic matter and the minerals. The elements are classified into five associations by cluster analysis, Groups A, B, C, D, and E. Group A represents a REE-Be-Y-Se-Ga-Ge-Sc-In-Pb-Bi-Nb-Ta-TiO2-W-Hg-Sb-Zr-Hf-Th-U association. Most of the elements in Group A are lithophile elements that occur in aluminosilicate minerals. Group B (Sn-Te-Zn-Cd-V-As-Cr-Cu-Mo-Ni-Re) is weakly correlated with ash yield and is associated with unidentified trace sulfide minerals. Elements in Group C (Ad-Na2O-Al2O3-SiO2- Li-K2O-Rb-Cs-Tl association) probably occur in the clay minerals and diaspore. Group D consists of P2O5, Ba, F, Sr, S, and Cl, and with the exception of S, they occur in minerals (gorceixite and fluorapatite). Oxides of Fe2O3-MnO-CaO-MgO make up Group E and mainly occur in the carbonate minerals. The coals are enriched in light REEs and the LREEs–HREEs have been highly fractionated, with an average (La/Yb) N of 8.71. The heavy REEs in the coals have a stronger organic affinity than the LREEs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The existed collector for the flotation of diasporic bauxite in China is poor in selectivity. To look for a collector with high selectivity and strong collecting capacity on the diaspore flotation, novel 4-alkyl-4,4-bis(hydroxycarbamoyl) carboxylic acids (ABHC) including 4,4-bis(hydroxycarbamoyl) dodecanoic acid (HCDA), 4,4-bis(hydroxycarbamoyl) tetradecanoic acid (HCTA), and 4,4-bis(hydroxycarbamoyl) hexadecanoic acid (HCHA) were designed and synthesized for the beneficiation of diasporic bauxite by selective flotation. The results of flotation experiments for the single minerals showed that by using these compounds as collectors, the pulp pH value has significant influence on their collecting performance as the floatability of diaspore varies sharply with its change. The appropriate pH value for the flotation of diaspore gets close to neutral condition at which diaspore presents good floatability while kaolinite and illite exhibit poor floatabilities. HCDA, HCTA, and HCHA, especially HCDA, show good selectivity for the flotation between diaspore and aluminosilicate around pH 7. A satisfactory mass ratio of Al2O3 to SiO2 (A/S) and recovery of Al2O3 were obtained from the flotation separation of artificially mixed minerals and the flotation desilication of diasporic bauxite by using HCDA as a collector, proving that the selectivity of HCDA is better than that of the traditional collector oleate. Moreover, adsorption amount, zeta-potential, DFT calculation, XPS, and FTIR were performed to study the mechanisms. The results indicated that the adsorption of HCDA on the surface of diaspore is dominantly chemisorption in the form of three chelate rings. The oxygen atoms contained in carboxyl and hydroxycarbamoyl of the polar group have the highly negative charges and stereo conditions to form five- to eight-membered ring, resulting in the coordination of carboxyl and hydroxycarbamoyl to the metal aluminum atoms to form chelate rings. By contrast, the adsorption of HCDA on the surface of kaolinite or illite is mainly physical adsorption. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Above two billion tons of bauxite were formed during the exposure of the North China Craton (NCC) in 445–300 Ma. Mineralogical, geochemical, and isotopic analyses of karstic bauxite deposits in the Sanmenxia area situated within southern NCC were conducted to explore the genetic processes of Carboniferous bauxite. The bauxite contains three layers: a lower Fe-bearing claystone layer, a middle bauxite ore layer, and an upper claystone layer. Fe-bearing claystone is dominated by illite and hematite in the uplift and illite, siderite, and pyrite in the depression. Bauxite ore is composed of diaspore, illite, pyrite, and anatase, and the upper claystone consists of illite, diaspore, and anatase. Distinct pyrite δ34S values (11.7–15.2 and −11.5 to 1.0), illite (87Sr/86Sr) i (0.711917–0.713588 and 0.708000–0.711057) and ε Nd (t) (−12.2 to −11.4 and −11.8 to −9.7) values, and the immobile elemental ratios were obtained between the lower Fe-bearing claystone and upper bauxite ore and claystone. Together with chemistry of detrital rutile, it is denoted the Fe-bearing claystone was formed from the underlying limestone, whereas the bauxite ore and claystone were derived from both igneous rocks along craton margin and regional Precambrian metamorphic rocks. The visible microorganisms and wide development of framboidal pyrite with negative δ34S within the bauxite ore provide evidences of microbial activity during bauxite formation. Bio-leaching process after the deposition of allochthonous source materials caused the downward migration of ions (Al3+, Fe2+, Ti4+, REE3+, etc.). These ions encountered an alkaline and reducing condition in the karstic depression, forming diaspore, pyrite, and anatase and REE enrichment at the bottom of bauxite ore. This large input of raw materials, warm and humid climate, and microorganisms led to large-scale bauxite formation in the NCC during late Carboniferous. • Karstic bauxite in the karstic depressions in the North China Craton belongs to a new type of terrestrial sedimentation. • The ore-forming source materials were mainly derived from igneous and metamorphic rocks along craton margin. • Sufficient source materials, suitable environment, and post-deposition effect jointly led to massive bauxite formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determination of dispersal strategies of alien species and its relationship with social and climatic factors are essential to understand the mechanisms of species invasion and adaption. Based on morphological trait, dispersal mode, and dispersal agent of diaspore of 562 alien species across China, we determined: (i) the proportions of five dispersal strategies (i.e., autochory, anemochory, hydrochory, zoochory, and anthropochory), (ii) the relationships between the dispersal strategies and socio-climatic factors in 34 administrative regions across China, and (iii) the correlations between different dispersal strategies. Anthropochory, zoochory, and anemochory account for nearly 90.0% of all the dispersal strategies of alien species. Mean frost days (MFD), mean annual humidity (MAH), and gross domestic product (GDP) were the main climatic and social factors that were correlated to different dispersal strategies. Zoochory was positively related to MFD, but negatively related to the autochory and anthropochory. MAH negatively influenced the anemochory, while GDP positively influenced the hydrochory. We classified the six dispersal strategies into two groups based on the correlations among dispersal strategies, group I included autochory and anthropochory, and group II included anemochory, hydrochory, and zoochory. Within a group, dispersal strategies were positively correlated, while between groups, dispersal strategies were negatively correlated. Positive correlation between different strategies might be co-owned while negative correlation between different strategies might not be co-owned by one alien species. Understanding the characteristics of the dispersal strategies of alien species is important for policy makers when controlling the dispersal of malignant invasive alien species, predicting the distribution, and decreasing or cutting off the dispersal pathways of invasive alien species., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)