Coal cleaning controls HAP emissions

Journal Article · Sat Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1996 · Power Engineering (Barrington)

OSTI ID:250780

Akers, D J ^[1]

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1. CQ Inc., Homer City, PA (United States)

Federal and state regulation of hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions from utility boilers is still in question. But if such regulation occurs in the next few years, the least-cost, lowest-risk control method for many utilities is likely to be some form of coal cleaning. Approximately 75 percent of coal mined east of the Mississippi River is already cleaned before it is used by the electric utility industry. Coal cleaning already reduces the concentration of most of the elements named as HAPs because most of these elements are associated with ash-forming or sulfur-bearing minerals. There are also cases in which some of these elements are bound to organic matter, making them extremely difficult to remove by physical cleaning methods. Complicating the situation even more, the same trace element may be bound both organically and with minerals in the same coal. On the positive side, for decades there has been much research and development on improved methods of removing ash and sulfur from coal. Some of these advanced technologies can remove greater quantities of some trace elements than the more commonly employed cleaning technologies. New developments can also enhance the ability of current technologies to remove HAPs.

• OSTI ID: 250780
• Journal Information: Power Engineering (Barrington), Journal Name: Power Engineering (Barrington) Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 100; ISSN 0032-5961; ISSN POENAI
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
AIR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
CLEANING
COAL
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
SURFACE PROPERTIES