Chemical fractionation tests on South African coal sources to obtain.pdfVIP

Fuel 84 2005 1768–1777 www.fuel? Chemical fractionation tests on South African coal sources to obtain species-speci?c information on ash fusion temperatures AFT * b a a J.C. van Dyk , L.L. Baxter , J.H.P. van Heerden , R.L.J. Coetzer aSasol Technology, RD Division, Syngas and Coal Technologies, P.O. Box 1, Sasolburg 1947S, South Africa bBrigham Young University, 350 CB, Provo, UT 84602, USA Received 6 July 2004; received in revised form 4 April 2005; accepted 6 April 2005 Available online 11 May 2005 Abstract Coals from the different sources used by Sasol vary substantially in terms of chemical and physical properties and directly relates to gasi?er behavior. Due to the large variation in coal properties from various sources, detailed coal and feedstock characteristics are essential to predict gasi?cation performance when a speci?c coal source is to be gasi?ed. One property that speci?cally gives detail information on the suitability of a coal source [Alpern B, Nahuys J, Martinez L. Mineral matter in ashy and non-washable coals—its in?uence on chemical properties. Commun Serv Geol Portugal 1984; 299–317.] for gasi?cation purposes is the ash fusion temperature AFT . The AFT of a coal source indicates the extent to which ash agglomeration and ash clinkering are likely to occur within the gasi?er. Ash clinkering inside the gasi?er can cause channel burning, pressure drop problems and unstable gasi?er operation. The principle aim of this paper is to obtain mineral species-speci?c information on ash properties and the speci?c affect on AFT. Chemical fractionation treatment resulted in coals having different mineral properties that can be used to explain the affect of speci?c minerals on the AFT of coal. The highest concentration and species of minerals were removed from the coal by acid leaching HCl and HNO3 where Al, Ca, Mg, Na and Fe were removed in high concentrations from the coal. An interesting ?nding in the ash composition of the co