Trace Elements in West Virginia Coals

Lanthanum (La) Summary Statistics

Whole coal lanthanum averaged 9.23 ppm (± 5.88 ppm) in West Virginia coals with a histogram showing a distribution skewed toward lower values with a significant tail of higher values and a maximum of 54 ppm in a bench of the Coalburg coal. Lanthanum correlated slightly with ash yield, but mainly with rare earth elements occurring in the mineral monazite, especially cerium (Ce) and lower for samarium (Sm), europium (Eu), lutetium (Lu), ytterbium (Yb), neodymium (Nd) and terbium (Tb). Lanthanum also correlated with ash related elements thorium (Th), chromium (Cr), hafnium (Hf), scandium (Sc), tantalum (Ta), lithium (Li), lead (Pb) and vanadium (V).

**Spearman Correlation Coefficients (r) with Lanthanum**
Ash Yield	Ce	Sm	Th	Eu	Cr	Hf	Sc
+0.6738	+0.9569	+0.9010	+0.8745	+0.8307	+0.8179	+0.7947	+0.7672
n = 545	n = 540	n = 536	n = 526	n = 534	n = 544	n = 504	n = 545
Ta	Li	Pb	Lu	Yb	V	Nd	Tb
+0.7487	+0.7592	+0.7149	+0.7105	+0.7100	+0.6841	+0.6794	+0.6784
n = 536	n = 545	n = 542	n = 503	n = 544	n = 544	n = 415	n = 488

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Page last revised: March 2, 2002

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