Mineralogical- Geochemical Characteristic of the Neogene Sediments at the Coal Mine of Zivojno in the Pelagonia Depression

Abstract

This study gives a first-time detailed analysis of the mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of the Neogene sediments found at the coal mine of Živojno in the Pelagonija depression based on tested samples of cores recovered in the investigation of the coal series from this region. For the determination of the mineralogical composition we used the x-ray diffraction method while for the determination of the detailed geochemical characteristics we tested the presence of trace elements with the ICP-MS method. The presence of the following main mineral stages was recorded: muscovite/illite, chlorite, quartz, albite, orthoclase and epidote. The presence of these rare elements ranges from (in ppm): Mn (1684); Sr (250); Ba (598); Zn (121); Pb (36); Cr (34); Co (22); Ni (39); Cd (0.65); Cu (55); As (9.7); Li (32); V (121); Mo (2.1); Sb (1.2);  Be (3); Bi (1); Ge (0.38); Sn (2.97); Ag (3.3); Ti (1.41); Rb (157); Cs (8.5); Th (15.9); U (3.93).