The nature of mineral matter in a coal and the effects on erosive and abrasive behaviour

The Yancey, Geer and Price (YGP) abrasion index has been used for many years to assess the abrasive nature of a coal. The index is clearly related to the mineral matter in the coal, but a direct correlation with the ash content is poor. A better correlation is achieved by relating the wear of coal grinding mills and pf pipe work to the quartz and pyrite contents of the coals, but the data still shows significant scatter and is of limited use for predicting component wear rates. This paper presents the results of a study aimed at relating the nature of the mineral matter in a range of UK and world-traded coals with their abrasive and erosive wear as measured by the Mitsui Babcock mini-mill test and pulverised coal erosion studies. The mineral matter in the coals has been characterised by computer controlled scanning electron microscopy (CCSEM). The results from the mini-mill and erosion tests have given linear correlations between the mineral matter in the coal and the abrasive and erosive wear by considering only the excluded mineral occurrences in the pulverised coal that that are harder than steel and have a size that is >25 μm.     

Kinetics of mineral matter transformation during coal combustion

The transformation of individual minerals was investigated based on TG and DTG analysis at temperature up to 1700 K in inert and oxidizing atmospheres. The decomposition of minerals in inert atmosphere and the reaction with gaseous atmosphere was described by first order reactions for which the kinetic data were found. The evaluated kinetic parameters were then tested on a complex mineral matter of coals. It has been demonstrated on example of two different compositions that the mass loss during the transformation of coal mineral matter during combustion can be modelled as a mixture of individual minerals.     

Effects of coal blending on the reduction of PM10 during high-temperature combustion 2. A coalescence-fragmentation model

A coalescence-fragmentation model has been developed to predict the behaviors of coal mineral particles during the combustion of pulverized bituminous coals or coal blends. Based on the computer-controlled scanning electron microscope (CCSEM) characterization of coal minerals, the particle size distributions (PSDs) and mineral species of ash particles can be simulated. In particular, the interactions among excluded minerals (mainly referring to the excluded Ca-bearing-species and Fe-bearing-species) and included minerals are accounted for in this model. The PSDs and the mineral species of ash particles are derived from the coalescence and fragmentation of coal mineral particles. Based on this proposed model, both of the predicted PSDs and the mineral species of ash particles are in good agreement with their corresponding experimentally measured values. And the comparisons further demonstrate that the combined effects of coalescence of included minerals and fragmentation of excluded minerals have direct impacts on the ash-forming process. In addition, for the coals rich in excluded Ca- and/or Fe-bearing-species, the interactions among included minerals and excluded minerals are another important mechanism governing ash formation for high-rank coals.     

Quantitative X-ray powder diffraction analysis of clay minerals in Australian coals using Rietveld methods

The mineralogy of clay-rich mineral matter isolated from a range of Australian bituminous coals has been evaluated in quantitative terms from X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) patterns using a Rietveld-based data processing technique. The chemical composition of coal ash derived from this mineral matter has been calculated and compared to the directly determined composition of the ash prepared from the same coal samples. Although there are some minor differences due in part to uncertainty regarding the actual composition of several minerals, the compositions indicated by the two methods show a relatively high correlation, suggesting that the Rietveld technique provides mineralogical analyses that are consistent with independently determined chemical data. Comparison of the normalised clay mineral percentages from the Rietveld analysis to quantitative interpretations based on a peak intensities in glycolated and heat-treated oriented aggregates of the respective clay fractions also shows a high correlation, confirming mutual consistency of the two different mineralogical analysis methods. Such quantitative mineralogical data are significant to a range of coal exploration, mining and utilization activities, including seam correlation, material handling and ash and slag formation in combustion processes.     

供煤系统的改进和完善

回转窑喂煤系统喂煤量波动和跑煤的原因是:煤粉仓容量偏小;螺旋喂料机螺旋叶片磨损过大;螺 旋泵选型不合理;风量风压不足。根据以上原因实施相应的措施后,改造效果显著。     

Preparation of a coal surface for contact angle measurements

Coal specimens of different ranks were polished using silicon carbide abrasive papers (with a grit from #60 to #1200) and alumina powder of varying size (from 5 to 0.05 μm). The coal surface roughness and contamination (by alumina powder) were examined with both scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The water advancing and receding contact angles were measured on such surfaces by varying the bubble size, using the captive-bubble technique. It was found that silicon carbide paper abraded all components of the coal surface, i.e. both organic and inorganic matter, to a similar depth. The roughness of the coal surface due to polishing with silicon carbide abrasive papers affected the contact angle hysteresis and the contact angle vs. bubble size relationship. Polishing of coal specimens with alumina powder reduced the microroughness of the coal surface but produced rough features at the macro level and caused mineral inclusions rising above the smooth organic matter. This phenomenon results from the heterogeneity of coal specimens consisting of minerals and macerals with different hardness values. The roughness at the macro level was easily distinguishable and had a significant impact on the measured contact angles when the coal surface was polished with coarse alumina powders, 5 and 1 μm in diameter. The effect of surface roughness on the advancing and receding water contact angles was significantly reduced (if not completely eliminated) when the coal surface was polished with a fibrous cloth (CHEMOMET) in the final step, after having been polished with 0.05 (0.06) μm alumina powder. Microscopic observation of the coal surfaces revealed that an appropriate ultrasonic treatment (8-10 min in an ultrasonic bath filled with water) and mechanical cleaning (polishing with a CHEMOMET cloth) of coal samples were required to remove the alumina particles left on the surface due to the previous polishing procedure. An improved methodology for coal surface preparation, prior to contact angle measurements, as proposed in this paper, includes polishing with a series of abrasive papers and 0.05 (0.06) μm alumina powder, polishing and cleaning with a fibrous cloth (e.g. CHEMOMET), and, finally, an extended cleaning in an ultrasonic bath filled with water.     

Mineral matter-organic matter association characterisation by QEMSCAN and applications in coal utilisation

The association of mineral matter with organic matter is extremely important for coal utilization process such as pf coal combustion. With the development of advanced analytical instruments such as QEMSCAN, it is now possible to measure directly the mineral matter-organic matter association on a particle-by-particle basis. The mineral matter and mineral-organic associations of a suite of fourteen CCSD coal bank coals (as pf) have been determined by QEMSCAN. An interface program was developed to make QEMSCAN data compatible with the CCSEM-based ash formation model developed previously in CCSD. Size and chemistry of flyash was predicted by a partial coalescence sub-model for included mineral grains, and a fragmentation sub-model for excluded mineral grains, respectively. The size and chemistry of predicted flyash was estimated on a particle-by-particle basis, and was used to rank the ash effect on heat transfer reduction for all the CCSD coals using the CCSEM-based model, in which coal property, furnace geometry and operational conditions have been taken into account. Other applications and further developments of the technique are also outlined.     

Factors governing reactivity in low temperature coal gasification. Part II. An attempt to correlate conversions with inorganic and mineral constituents

Links between extents of coal gasification and the amounts and compositions of mineral components in coals have been investigated. The influence of demineralisation and impregnation with various inorganic components on the pyrolysis and CO₂-gasification behaviour of two coals have been examined at 0.1 and 1 MPa. The effect of mineral matter on pyrolysis and gasification behaviour has also been examined by correlating actual conversions of a calibration set of 23 coal samples with the mineral matter-related bands of their FT-IR spectra. Whilst mineral matter contents clearly affect conversions during gasification, results from this work show that it is difficult to find systematic patterns, regarding the effect of specific inorganic components in different coals. The prediction of catalytic activity from amounts and compositions of particular inorganic components appears unlikely to be feasible. These findings confirm the difficulty of relating information on original structural features of coals to weight loss during gasification.     

Behaviour of coal mineral matter in sintering and slagging of ash during the gasification process

The mineral matter in typical feed coals used in South African gasification processes and the ash derived from gasifying such coals have been investigated using a variety of mineralogical, chemical and electron microscope techniques. The mineral matter in the feed coals consists mainly of kaolinite, with minor proportions of quartz, illite, dolomite, calcite and pyrite plus traces of rutile and phosphate minerals. The calcite and dolomite occur in veins within the vitrinite macerals, and are concentrated in the floats fraction after density separation. Some Ca and Ti also appear to be present as inorganic elements associated with the organic matter.Electron microscope studies show that the gasification ash is typically made up of partly altered fragments of non-coal rock, bonded together by a slag-like material containing anorthite and mullite crystals and iron oxide particles, with interstitial vesicular glass of calcic to iron-rich composition. Ash formation and characteristics thus appear to be controlled by reactions at the particle scale, allowing the different types of particles within the feed coal to interact with each other in a manner controlled mainly by the modes of mineral occurrence. Integration of such techniques provides an improved basis for evaluating ash-forming processes, based on quantitative phase identification, bulk and particle chemistry, and the geometric forms in which the different phases occur.     

Effect of mineral matter on coal self-heating rate

Adiabatic self-heating tests have been conducted on subbituminous coal cores from the same seam profile, which cover a mineral matter content range of 11.2-71.1%. In all cases the heat release rate does not conform to an Arrhenius kinetic model, but can best be described by a third order polynomial. Assessment of the theoretical heat sink effect of the mineral matter in each of the tests reveals that the coal is less reactive than predicted using a simple energy conservation equation. There is an additional effect of the mineral matter in these cases that cannot be explained by heat sink alone. The disseminated mineral matter in the coal is therefore inhibiting the oxidation reaction due to physicochemical effects.     

燃煤过程中颗粒物的形成机理研究进展

介绍了煤粉燃烧过程中颗粒物的形成机理，包括亚微米飞灰和残灰颗粒的主要形成途径．亚微米颗粒主要来自无机物的气化-凝结过程，在高温条件下无机矿物首先以氧化物、次氧化物或原子的形式气化，当温度降低时，无机蒸气通过均相成核、异相冷凝、凝并、团聚等过程形成细微颗粒．残灰由残留在焦炭颗粒中的矿物转化而成，焦炭破碎和表面灰的聚合是决定残灰最终粒径分布的主要过程，除此之外，对于含外来矿物较多的煤种，矿物破碎对残灰颗粒的形成也有十分重要的影响．最后对燃煤过程中颗粒物的形成机理研究提出了建议．     

A formula for the mineral matter to ash ratio for low rank coals

Existing formulae relating mineral matter to ash yield of coal, which assume that all the mineral matter is separate from the coal, do not apply to low rank coal because part of the mineral matter is bound in the coal substance. A mineral matter/ash formula is derived for low rank coal that allows the calculation of the ratio of mineral matter to ash for a sample of any coal the basic properties of which have been determined. The formula requires a modification to the procedures previously developed for calculating basic properties of low rank coals. Basic properties and the parameters determining the mineral matter to ash ratio are presented for New Zealand sub-bituminous Waikato coals.     

A mathematical model of ash formation during pulverized coal combustion

A mathematical model of ash formation during high-rank pulverized coal combustion is reported in this paper. The model is based on the computer-controlled scanning electron microscope (CCSEM) characterization of minerals in pulverized coals. From the viewpoint of the association with coal carbon matrix, individual mineral grains present in coal particles can be classified as included or excluded minerals. Included minerals refer to those discrete mineral grains that are intimately surrounded by the carbon matrix. Excluded minerals are those liberated minerals not or at least associated with coal carbon matter. Included minerals and excluded minerals are treated separately in the model. Included minerals are assumed to randomly disperse between individual coal particles based on coal and mineral particle size distributions. A mechanism of partial-coalescence of included minerals within single coal particles is related to char particulate structures formed during devolatilization. Fragmentation of excluded minerals, which is important particularly for a coal with a significant fraction of excluded minerals, is simulated using a stochastic approach of Poisson distribution. A narrow-sized sample of an Australian bituminous coal was combusted in a drop-tube furnace under operating conditions similar to that in boilers. The particle size distribution and chemical composition of experimental ash were compared to those predicted with the model. The comparisons indicated that the model generally reflected the combined effect of coalescence of included minerals and fragmentation of excluded minerals, the two important mechanisms governing ash formation for high-rank coals.     

An investigation on the heterogeneous nature of mineral matters in Assam (India) coal by CCSEM technique

This is a very first preliminary investigation on the distribution of heterogeneous nature of mineral matter in one of the industrially important Assam (India) pulverized coal using computer-controlled scanning electron microscopy (CCSEM). The results show that clay minerals, quartz, pyrite, and pyrrhotite form the bulk of the mineral matter. Minor minerals, such as calcite, dolomite, ankerite, barite, oxidized pyrrhotite, and gypsum, are also observed in the sample. The particle size distribution (PSD) of the included minerals is generally observed to be finer than that of the excluded ones in the coal. As a consequence, the coal rich in included minerals has more small mineral particles, which may affect its reactivity. Regarding the association of individual mineral species, the proportion of included to excluded is found to be higher in major cases. With regard to the modes of occurrence of major inorganic elements, it is found that Si mostly occurs as quartz and clay minerals, while Al mostly occurs as silicate minerals. Fe is primarily present as iron sulfides, iron oxide, and Fe-Al-silicate. S is partitioned into iron sulfides and gypsum. Most Ca occurs as carbonates and gypsum, with a minor fraction associated with clay minerals. Mg is mainly present as dolomite and clay minerals, with a very minor fraction present as ankerite. The majority of alkali elements are associated with aluminosilicates. P is mostly associated with kaolinite and/or present as more complex compounds containing Al, Si, and other elements as apatite is found to be absent in the coal studied. Ti is mainly present as rutile and kaolinite.     

Co-gasification behavior of meat and bone meal char and coal char

The co-gasification behavior of meat and bone meal (MBM) char and two types of coal (Jincheng anthracite (JC) and Huolinhe lignite (HLH)) char was investigated using a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). The effects of coal type, mineral matter in MBM, gasification temperatures and contacting conditions between MBM char and coal char on the gasification behavior were studied. The results show that the gasification behavior of MBM char and HLH char can be well described by ash diffusion controlled shrinking core model, while that of JC char can be described by chemical reaction controlled shrinking core model. The co-gasification rate of MBM/JC chars at 950 °C is approximately 1.5 times faster than that calculated from independent behavior. The mineral matter in MBM may play as a catalyst during co-gasification. However, the analogous effect observed in the blends of HLH/MBM chars is smaller, suggesting that the coal types play a great role. Furthermore, as the gasification temperature increased from 850 to 1000 °C, the maximum synergistic effect is observed at 900 °C. The lower temperature is not conducive to transferring the mineral matters of MBM to the coal char, while the higher temperature makes Na and Ca react with minerals of coal, leading to a loss of catalytic activity.     

Interaction of mineral matter of coal with oxygen carriers in chemical-looping combustion (CLC)

The chemical-looping combustion (CLC) and chemical-looping with oxygen uncoupling (CLOU) processes are novel solutions for efficient combustion with direct separation of carbon dioxide. These processes use a metal oxide as an oxygen carrier to transfer oxygen from an air to a fuel reactor, where the fuel reacts with the solid oxygen carrier. When utilizing coal in CLC, the oxygen carrier particles could be affected through interaction with the ash-forming mineral matter found in coal, causing deactivation and/or agglomeration. In this work, possible interactions between minerals commonly encountered in coal and several promising oxygen carriers that are currently under investigation for their use in CLC are studied by both experiment and thermodynamic equilibrium calculations. Possible interaction was studied for both highly reducing and oxidizing conditions at 900 °C. Under highly reducing conditions pyrite was found to have by far the most deteriorating effect on the oxygen carrier particles, as the sulfur in the pyrite reacted with the oxygen carrier to form sulfides. Quartz and clay minerals were found to have a rather low influence on the oxygen carriers. Out of the oxygen carriers investigated, CuO/MgAl₂O₄ and the Mn₃O₄/ZrO₂ oxygen carriers tended to be quite reactive towards mineral matter whereas ilmenite has been shown to be the most robust oxygen carrier. Although sulfur can clearly deactivate Ni, Cu and Mn based oxygen carriers under sub-stoichiometric conditions, when the fuel is converted fully to CO₂ and H₂O, sulfides are only expected for Ni-based oxygen carriers.     

Coal research in Newcastle—past, present and future

Coal research, particularly in the area of coal utilization, has flourished in the University of Newcastle for last several decades. There have been significant developments in the area of furnace modeling and heat transfer—modeling of radiative heat transfer in pulverized coal fired boilers and aerodynamic modeling of swirl burners, blast furnace raceways, coal combustion—kinetics of devolatilisation, combustion and gasification, mineral and ash reactions—thermal behaviour of different minerals, ash formation and their implications on ash deposition and thermal performance. There have been some investigations into in situ gasification, NO_x formation and cofiring with biomass as well. Coal characterization—for organic and inorganic matter and ash has been a strong activity in the past few years.This paper presents a comprehensive review of these activities summarizing the key achievements in each area. The paper also describes possible directions and drivers for future coal research in the current environment.     

A new approach for the combined chemical and mineral classification of the inorganic matter in coal. 2. Potential applications of the classification systems

Part 1 of the present work introduced and evaluated a new approach for the combined chemical and mineral classification of the inorganic matter in coal. The benefit of these classification systems is the use of significant correlations and actual element associations, and well-defined and genetically described mineral classes and species in coal. Potential applications of the chemically and mineralogically categorized coal types and subtypes are discussed in the present part 2. The data show that various technological problems, environmental risks and health concerns of coal use are related directly or indirectly to specific mineral and chemical coal types and subtypes. Furthermore, a concept of “self-cleaning fuels” also is introduced and developed herein based on mineral coal types. The application of these chemical and mineral classification systems and concept is proposed to both the scientific and industrial community.     

Effect of the Intensification of Mechanical Processing on the Conversion of the Mineral Matter of Coal Fuel

The influence of intense preliminary mechanical processing in a disintegrator on the conversion of the mineral matter of Kuznetsk black coal was determined. With the use of X-ray spectral fluorescence analysis and a method of coal sample separation based on density, a significant redistribution of the mineral components with the use of an energy-intensive mill (disintegrator) was found in comparison with standard mills utilized in heat-power engineering in terms of both particle-size fractions and density. Crushing in the disintegrator leads to a more uniform distribution of mineral substances over the fractions. A small fraction becomes enriched in mineral elements such as calcium- and iron-containing minerals bound to the organic matter. The separation based on density showed that crushing in the disintegrator leads to a significant decrease in the concentration of iron-containing minerals and a decrease in the portion of organic components in the heavy fraction, as compared with crushing in a ball–tube mill.     

Identification of clay minerals in coal and wastes from main coal washery, Zonguldak, Turkey

Identification of clay minerals present in coal and washery wastes is important in cleaning fine coal by froth flotation and in flocculation and dewatering. Therefore samples of wastes from jigs and the flotation cell at the Zonguldak main coal washery were collected and analyzed petrographically for their mineral matter content and by X-ray diffraction for their clay content. The “loss on ignition” method was carried out to determine their organic carbon and carbonates. The waste samples contain 48–68% clay minerals in addition to silicates, carbonates, sulfides and coal. Three clay minerals were identified, namely illite, kaolinite and chlorite. Illite seemed to be the dominant clay mineral in washery wastes. Loss on ignition indicated high percentages of organic matter in the fine jig tailings (21%) and flotation tailings (33%). 3%–6.5% of carbonates have also been found.