Sulfur meter speeds coal blending

Journal Article · Tue Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1977 · Coal Age; (United States)

OSTI ID:7216262

Summers, D F

The sulfur content has become the most important criterion that industry looks at when purchasing coal. The exact amount of sulfur in coal being processed by a preparation plant must be known and, if possible, controlled by blending coal streams of various sulfur contents. Present techniques, however, of measuring the sulfur in coal involve laborious and time-consuming sampling and chemical analysis (12 to 24 hr), and the results usually are not available until the following day. By then, the coal barges or trains are already on the way to their destinations. A new nuclear sulfur meter is expected to overcome these difficulties and help lead to true automation in coal preparation plants. Initially developed by the Bureau of Mines' Morgantown Energy Research Center (MERC) at Morgantown, W. Va., and completed after reorganization of the center by the US Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA), the meter can scan coal to produce a reading within 2 min to an accuracy of 0.04 percent sulfur. The meter is expected to soon result in an element-ash-moisture-Btu meter that would rapidly detect the sulfur, sodium, potassium, and overall mineral content of the coal, as well as its ash and Btu content.

• Research Organization: Energy Research Center, Morgantown, WV
• OSTI ID: 7216262
• Journal Information: Coal Age; (United States), Journal Name: Coal Age; (United States) Vol. 82:3; ISSN COAAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
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440105 -- Radiation Instrumentation-- Radiometric Instruments-- (-1987)
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AUTOMATION
BARYON REACTIONS
CALIFORNIUM 252
CALIFORNIUM ISOTOPES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
COAL
COAL PREPARATION PLANTS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
EQUIPMENT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GAMMA DETECTION
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HEAVY NUCLEI
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IONIZING RADIATIONS
ISOTOPES
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
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MIXING
MONITORING
NEUTRON REACTIONS
NEUTRON SOURCES
NONMETALS
NUCLEAR REACTION ANALYSIS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEI
NUCLEON REACTIONS
PARTICLE SOURCES
RADIATION DETECTION
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIATIONS
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOMETRIC GAGES
SAMPLING
SULFUR
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES