Improvement in the analysis of ashes from coal by spark source mass spectrography

Thesis/Dissertation · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6231415

Welcomer, T D

A material balance study was performed using spark source mass spectrography on Iowa and Colorado coal burned at the Iowa State University Power Plant. Sixty-two elements were analyzed in the influent coal, effluent bottom ash, fly ash from a primary dust collector, and fly ash from an electrostatic precipitator. The material balance was satisfactory for the majority of the elements. A computer application of the Franzen-Maurer-Schuy formula was developed to calibrate the photoplates. The results indicated an unexpected increase in the sensitivity of the emulsion due to increasing momentum of the ions. The suitability of three internal standards, Cu, Zr, and Ba, was examined for use in the material balance study. The relative sensitivity coefficients for the elements in low-temperature ashed coal and the effluent ashes were determined from the results of the analysis of twelve standard samples. The results of the analysis of ashed coal and other ashes by spark source mass spectrography were improved when line areas instead of peaks were measured, the mass spectral data were interpreted by computer methods and an accurate calibration and computation scheme was developed. The enrichment of the elements in the effluent ashes was examined to determine the potential of these ashes as sources of some of these elements.

• OSTI ID: 6231415
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010600* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Properties & Composition
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400104 -- Spectral Procedures-- (-1987)
AEROSOL WASTES
ASHES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
COAL
ENERGY SOURCES
FLY ASH
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
MASS SPECTROMETERS
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
MATERIALS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RESIDUES
SPARK MASS SPECTROMETERS
SPECTROMETERS
SPECTROSCOPY
WASTES