POCKET    COAL   DISTRICT,    VIRG 
417 
CHEMICAL   PROPERTIES. 
In  addition  to  the  samples  of  coal  obtained  for  a  comparative 
study  of  physical  properties,  a  number  were  collected  in  the  uniform 
manner  prescribed  by  the  United  States  Geological  Survey  for  chem- 
ical analysis.  The  result  of  these  analyses  is  given  in  the  following 
table: 
Analyses  of  coal  samples  from  the  Pocket  district,  Virginia . 
[F.  M.  Stanton,  chemist  in  charge.] 
No.  of  coal  bed . 
Location 
Laboratory  No. 
Sample  as  received: 
I  Moisture 
Volatile  matter 
Fixed  carbon 
/Ash 
{\Sulphur 
Hydrogen 
Carbon 
Nitrogen 
Oxygen 
Calories 
British  thermal  imits. 
10 
Baley 
Trace. 
Gin 
Creek. 
Left  fork  of  Gin 
Creek. 
«,j;;s 
Loss  of  moisture  on  air-drying. 
Air-dried  sample: 
(Moisture 
Volatile  matter 
Fixed  carbon 
J  Ash 
{I  Sulphur 
Hydrogen 
Carbon 
Nitrogen 
Oxygen 
Calories 
British  thermal  units 
3.42 
34.36 
58.83 
3.39 
.58 
5.25 
77.98 
1.29 
11.51 
7,852 
14,134 
0237 
6239 
4.44 
5.31 
5.49 
35. 99 
32.  66 
36.03 
53.59 
53. 23 
51.87 
5.98 
8.80 
0.61 
.76 
.75 
1.24 
5.19 
5.13 
5.19 
71.95 
70. 39 
71.47 
1.25 
1.36 
1.12 
14.87 
13.57 
14.37 
7,424 
7,099 
7,283 
13,303 
12,778 
13. 109 
1.40 
2.10 
3.10 
3.10 
2.05 
2.39 
34. 85 
36.76 
59.66 
54.  74 
3.44 
6.11 
.59 
.77 
5.16 
5.07 
79.09 
73.49 
1.31 
1.28 
10.41 
13. 28 
7,964 
7,582 
14.334 
13,650 
2.28 
33.71 
54.93 
9.08 
.78 
4.94 
72.64 
1.40 
11.16 
7,326 
13, 187 
Thickness  of  coal  bed . 
Ft.  in. 
4    10 
Ft.  in. 
5    10 
2.  47 
37. 18 
53.53 
6.82 
1.28 
5.00 
73.  76 
1.16 
11.98 
7,516 
13.528 
Ft.  in. 
a  As  soon  as  taken  these  samples  were  placed  in  lightly  lilting  screw-top  cans  which  were  hermet- 
ically sealed  six  hours  later. 
COKING   QUALITIES. 
Although  practical  coking  tests  have  not  been  made  of  all  the  coal 
beds  in  the  Pocket  coal  district,  it  is  believed  by  the  writer  that  coke 
of  average  quality  could  be  made  from  most  of  the  workable  beds. 
Samples  of  coke,  apparently  of  excellent  quality,  that  were  seen  in 
the  field,  were  said  to  have  been  made  of  run-of-mine  coal  from  bods 
5  and  6,  and  also  of  mixed  coal  from  these  two  beds.  So  far  as  could 
be  ascertained  no  practical  coking  tests  have  been  made  of  coals  from 
other  beds  in  the  district,  but  the  adhesion  test  described  by  Pishel6 
was  applied  to  samples  of  coal  from  beds  3,  5,  6,  7,  9,  10,  and  12  with 
fairly  satisfactory  results.     This  process,  given  briefly,  is  as  follows: 
Pulverize  in  an  agate  mortar  a  small  quantity  of  the  coal  to  be  tested  until  it  will 
pass  through  a  100-mesh  sieve.  Pour  out  the  pulverized  coal  and  observe  the  condi- 
tion of  the  mortar  and  pestle.     With  some  coals  the  mortar  and  pestle  will  be  deeply 
b  Pishel,  M.  A.,  A  practical  test  for  coking  coals:  Kcon.  Geology,  vol.  3,  No.  A,  June-July,  190S. 
71  197— Bull.  .541—  0!) 27 
