Analyses of Minor Elements in Coals

Abstract

-Twenty six kinds of coals, which were chosen at random, were burnt to ashes by combustion either in air at 800°C or in an oxygen plasma at 185°C. The ashes were submitted to either X-ray fluorescence or ICP analysis and the content of the mineral elements such as Hg, As, Pb, Cu, Cd, Zn, Cr, Mn and Ni was determined.
It was found that each element tends to decrease in its amount in the course of ashify-ing at 800°C and the tendency was marked for Hg, As and Zn.
Appreciable differences were also observed between the Plasma-ICP and Carius-ICP procedures for the cases of Hg. Between X-ray fluoresence analyses and ICP analyses there was no obvious discrepancy excepting some cases of Pb, Mn and Ni.