Browsing by Author "Pradip Kumar Banerjee"

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Evaluation of Singrauli Coals for Sustainable Energy Utilisation: Insight From Geochemical and Petrographic Perspectives
(John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2025) P. Gopinathan; Abhishek Mahato; Om Prakash Kumar; Alok Kumar; T. Subramani; Amit Karmakar; Bodhisatwa Hazra; Pradip Kumar Banerjee; Manoj Kumar Saini; Manoj K. Sethi
The study investigated 50 Permian coals from the Singrauli Coalfields in the Son Valley Basin, India, using advanced petro-geochemical techniques to assess their source rock properties, energy and utilisation potential and to reconstruct the paleodepositional environment. Petrological analysis indicated vitrinite reflectance values between 0.39% and 0.49%, classifying the Singrauli coals as sub-bituminous to high volatile bituminous rank and indicating a thermally immature state. The results of geochemical analysis (volatile matter: 36.8%–46.5% and T max: 420°C–425°C) further support the above contention. High carbon content (average 77.89%), low sulphur content (average 0.46%) and varying nitrogen and oxygen levels in studied coal enhance its environmental suitability. The hydrogen index (HI: 163–279 mg HC/g TOC) values suggest a predominance of type-III kerogen with mixed type-II–III kerogen, further supported by petrographic data. Moreover, geochemical and petrographic data suggested the suitability of Singrauli coals for gasification. The high total organic carbon (TOC ≥ 38 wt%) indicated admirable potential as a source rock for hydrocarbon generation, particularly within the gas-source rock zone, highlighting their suitability for energy production. Petrographic indices indicated a wet forest swamp origin with a telmatic source and bog region under ombrotrophic to mesotrophic hydrological circumstances. The association of macerals and total sulphur content further supported the conclusion of a freshwater environment during peat deposition. © 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Photothermal conversion and geochemical characterization of sulfur-rich lignite for non-conventional energy applications
(Nature Research, 2025) P. Gopinathan; Afaq Ahmad Khan; Vivek Singh; M. S. Santosh; T. Subramani; Amit Karmakar; Surender Santosh V.Rama Kumar; Md Asif; Om Prakash Kumar; Amiya Shankar Naik; Pradip Kumar Banerjee; Prakash Kumar Sarangi
Lignite has emerged as a critical material in contemporary energy portfolios, particularly in electricity generation. However, this work explores lignite’s potential beyond conventional uses, exploring on its energy conversion applications. In a pioneering move, lignite samples have been directly utilized as materials for photothermal conversion applications, along with a description of their geochemical features, such as sulfur compositions, forms, and microscopic characteristics. Among the twenty lignite samples that were geologically studied, two sulfur-rich samples (CS-1 and CS-2) were chosen to explore their photothermal conversion performance. The powder-XRD diffraction patterns of CS-1 and CS-2 reveal the presence of the hexagonal phase of carbon C1 with kaolinite (Al2Si2O5(OH)4). Their XPS spectra indicate that both organic and metal-bonded sulfide moieties are present in the lignite samples. CS-1 and CS-2 were implemented under 1 Sun irradiation, and it was found that CS-2 exhibits superior light-absorbing properties, resulting in enhanced water evaporation rates. In addition, the photothermal imaging also shows a temperature increase to 58.2 °C within 10 min for lignite-coated membranes, compared to 31 °C for the blank under similar conditions. These findings can be leveraged to explore lignite’s untapped potential in various technological domains, propelling the global transition towards cleaner energy solutions. © The Author(s) 2025.