THE RELEASE OF POTASSIUM FROM COAL DURING BOMB COMBUSTION

Potassium release from coals was studied by burning coal in a calorimeter bomb under an atmosphere of oxygen and determining the water-soluble constituents of the residue. The water-soluble constituents were assumed to represent those constituents of the coal that would be released during pulverized fuel firing. This paper describes work in which the above technique was used to investigate the release of metals during combustion, in particular potassium, from a large number of power station coals. The results have been statistically analyzed to determine the factors controlling the release of potassium. The findings are described with regard to the potential of coals to cause superheater/reheater corrosion.