Nanostructure characterization of Central Himalaya coals

Summary

The coalfield of the foreland basins is distributed in the different region of the central Himalaya (Nepal Himalaya). For the first time, we applied Total Reflection Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (ATR–FTIR), X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR–TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to study their chemical and nanostructural characteristics of the Nepalese coals. The coal samples from two coalfields, Jhadewa and Tosh coalfield (i.e., Palpa and Dang district) of central Himalaya have been studied. A total of 6 coal samples, 3 for each coalfield were collected directly from the underground coal mine and outcrop coal seams in the western and central Nepal Himalaya. FTIR spectra illustrate the presence of stretching vibrations of aliphatic –CH, –CH2 and –CH3 absorptions, –OH bonds, C=C and –CH of aromatic structures and C=O stretching vibrations of carbonyl groups. X-ray diffraction signifies the presence of crystalline carbon having turbo-stratic structure along with some highly disordered amorphous carbon whereas HR–TEM study shows the formation of carbon nanostructures of 1.73–8.03 nm size and nominal areas in the range of 11–14 nm2. Single-wall nano-tubes (SWNTs) of 12.67–36.23 nm diameters were also formed. The nominal size of the SWNTs is in the range of 16–20 nm. Micro-pores, micro-fissures, and micro-cracks were discovered in the SEM study

• Nano structure
• Central Himalaya
• Nepal Himalaya coalfield
• Micro-pores
• nano-tubes