Excerpt from Sulfur in Illinois Coals Sulfur in its several forms is prominent among the species of mineral matter known to occur in coal. Not only is the occurrence of combined sulfur prevalent in coal, but its effects can be extremely detrimental, and some of the coals with high sulfur content are restricted in the manner in which they may be utilized. The public has become aware of several of the many problems associated With the presence of sulfur in coal with the recently increased concern for all forms of air and water pollution, including sulfur dioxide (soz) emission into the atmos phere from coal-fired boilers and acid drainage into streams from coal mines, spoil piles, and refuse dumps. Other problems associated with the presence of sulfur in coal include possible contribution to spontaneous combustion of coal in mines, in refuse piles, and in stored and stockpiled coal; the formation of boiler deposits and associated corrosion of boiler tubes; difficulties in mining and coal preparation; and the need for low-sulfur coals in the manufacture of metallurgical coke. Because of the recognition of the importance of sulfur in the utilization of coal, investigations concerning sulfur in coal have been pursued at the Illinois State Geological Survey Since its founding more than 60 years ago. One of the objectives of this Circular will be to summarize the pertinent data concerning sul fur in coal, which have been collected, and in many cases published, by members of the Geological Survey staff over that period of time. In addition, recently devel oped data cm the distribution of sulfur in Illinois coals will be discussed. The 1n formation from the chemical analyses of the coal samples in which we are interested has been put into a form whereby computer processing is possible, and this enables us to analyze much more completely this large amount of data. Except where specifically stated to the contrary, all data from chemical analyses discussed in this paper were obtained from analyses of face-channel samples of coal. These samples were taken in the mines by Geological Survey personnel following recommended U. S. Bureau of Mines methods of sampling, which provide for exclusion of mineral bands over -inch in thickness (holmes, The ex cluded bands may be composed of pyrite or pyrite and other minerals. In some in stances, those bands may represent a significant amount of sulfur in comparison to the total sulfur in the resulting face-channel sample. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.