Humate and Clinker Publications
Humate is either weathered coal or highly organic mudstone
that is found in the coal-bearing sequence. Humates primary uses are as
soil additives or as drilling mud additives. The important constituent
of humate for these uses is the humic and fulvic acid content. In the San
Juan Basin there are several humate mines and some have been in existence
for over 25 years.
Roybal, G.H., and Barker, J.M., 1987, Geology and production of humate
and weathered coal in New Mexico: in Transactions, Society of Mining and
Engineers of AIME, Vol. 280, p. 2105-2110.
Hoffman, G.K., Austin, G.S., 1994, Agricultural materials: Soil additives,
in Industrial Rocks and Minerals, 6th Edition, D.D. Carr, senior ed.: Society
for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, Inc., p. 89-96.
Hoffman, G.K., Barker, J.M., and Austin, G.S., 1995, Overview of humate
production in North America; in Merlini, A.A., Shasta, ed., Proceedings
of the 30th Forum on the Geology of Industrial Minerals [1994], New Brunswick
Department of Natural Resources and Energy, Minerals and Energy Division,
Miscellaneous Report 16, p. 55-70. Abstract
Hoffman, G.K., Verploegh, J., Barker, J.M., 1996, Geology and chemistry
of humate deposits in the southern San Juan Basin, New Mexico; in
Austin, G.S., et al. (eds.) Proceedings of the 31st Forum on the Geology
of Industrial Minerals-Borderland Forum: New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Bulletin 154, p. 105-112. Abstract
Clinker
forms as a result of coal outcrops burning because of spontaneous combustion
or some think because or wildfires. Clinker generally occurs when the coal
has a significant amount of inherent moisture, such as in low-rank coals.
When the coal is exposed at the surface, the coals tend to dry out which
creates self heating followed by spontaneous combustion. Clinker is actually
the hardened claystones, siltstones, and sandstones above or below the
coal that were 'baked' during the burning. In the San Juan Basin, this
material is often used as aggregate on dirt roads, because it is one of
the hardest rock materials available in the area. Some coal mines use the
material for grading mine roads and in reclamation, and for stabilization.
Hoffman, G.K., 1996, Natural clinker: The red dog of aggregates in the
Southwest; in Austin, G.S., et al. (eds.) Proceedings of the 31st
Forum on the Geology of Industrial Minerals-Borderland Forum: New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Bulletin 154, p.187-196. Abstract
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