Volatility of fly ash and coal

The volatilization of fly ash has been examined by a number of techniques including TGA—DTA, Knudsen cell mass spectrometry, volatilization of neutron-activated fly ash, and X-ray fluorescence analysis of sized fly ash, low-temperature ash, and the parent coal. At low temperatures, H₂O, CO₂, SO₂, and a number of organic compounds are the primary volatile species as determined by mass spectrometry. Analysis of the volatiles collected from activated fly ash heated to temperatures up to 1400 °C shows that Hg, Se, As, Br, and I are nearly completely volatilized. The analysis of the bulk and size fractions of fly ash, and parent coal, is consistent with this and provides evidence for volatilization of 15 elements during coal combustion. Comparison of coal and fly ash compositions also shows that significant amounts of Se are still present in the gas phase at the precipitators and more than 50 wt % of the Se is contained in the stack emissions. The results are consistent with present models for fly ash formation and trace element enrichment.