Characterization of coal, coal ash and coal fly ash using borate fusion for ICP analysis

Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel in the world. It has been used by humans for centuries and is still widely used today to produce electricity, steel and industry materials such as cement. 

It is essential for industries to characterize coal to fully understand its use as well as to manage the recovery of its derivative products in order to reduce the environmental impact. Characterization also prevents damages on industrial equipment caused by mineral deposit in furnaces and kettles.

The purpose of this project is to demonstrate that precision and accuracy criteria in standard methods such as ASTM D6357, ASTM D6349 and AS 1038.14 1-2003 can be met by using borate fusion as a dissolution method for ICP-OES analysis. This preparation step will be facilitated by using LeNeo fusion instrument.

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Introduction

Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel in the world [1]. It has been used by humans for centuries and is still widely used today to produce electricity, steel and industry materials such as cement [2].

It is essential for industries to characterize coal to fully understand its use as well as to manage the recovery of its derivative products in order to reduce the environmental impact. Characterization also prevents damages on industrial equipment caused by mineral deposit in furnaces and kettles [3].

The purpose of this project is to demonstrate that precision and accuracy criteria in standard methods such as ASTM D6357, ASTM D6349 and AS 1038.14 1-2003 can be met by using borate fusion as a dissolution method for ICP-OES analysis. This preparation step will be facilitated by using LeNeo® fusion instrument.

Method

Apparatus and Instrumental Conditions

An automatic LeNeo fusion instrument designed by Claisse was used to generate borate solutions. Its resistance-based electric system, excellent insulation properties and preset fusion programs allow a uniform heating, thus providing repeatable and reproducible fusion conditions and a perfect retention of volatile elements.

A Fisher Scientific Isotemp® muffle furnace was used for the LOI determinations and the preparation of ignited samples.

A Perkin Elmer® Optima® 7300 DV ICP-OES spectrometer was used to collect the data. The operating parameters used on the spectrometer are shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Optima 7300 DV operating parameters
NebulizerGem Tip Cross flowArgon flowPlasma: 16 L/min
Nebulizer: 0.8 L/min
Auxiliary: 0.4 L/min
Spray chamberScott
InjectorAlumina 2 mm i.d.
RF1500 WSample flow rate1.0 mL/min

Global Sample Preparation Method

Before being submitted to the fusion process, each sample was ashed in a Pt/Au crucible in the muffle furnace according to this following ashing method:

  1. Ramp up to 500 °C for 1 hour
  2. Ramp up to 750 °C for 2 hours
  3. Hold at 750 °C for 2 hours

The ashes were then fused following the procedure of mixing 0.150 g of lithium nitrate (LiNO3) and 1.000 g of lithium metaborate/1.5% lithium bromide (LiM/LiBr) flux in Pt/Au crucibles. A fully automatic LeNeo instrument was used to fuse the samples.

The complete process of fusion and dissolution took less than 15 minutes. The resulting solutions were then diluted up to 200 mL in 10% nitric acid for subsequent analyses on a Perkin Elmer Optima 7300 DV ICP-OES.

Results

High lithium matrix can cause signal suppression or signal increase for some elements.
In order to counteract this effect, matrix matching and internal standards were used. The dilution of sample prevented any clogging caused by a high salt matrix. The calibration solutions of each element were done in a LiM/LiBr 1.5% matrix, just like the sample. Calibration curves were done using a concentration range close to the sample concentrations.
Sample concentrations are within the calibration range. Five points including the blank were used for each element. The correlation of each curve was higher than 0.999.

Method Detection Limits

Method detection limits (MDLs) were based on 10 replicate measurements of a series of low diluted sample solutions. The MDL was calculated by multiplying the standard deviation of the 10 replicate measurements by three.

MDL= 3 x S10 

Table 2: Method detection limit obtained by wavelength used and type of view
ElementsWavelength (nm)ViewMDL (mg/L)
Al237.313Axial0.07
Ba413.065Axial0.006
Ca422.673Radial0.1
Fe238.863Axial0.02
K766.490Axial0.002
Mg279.077
Axial0.007
Mn293.305Axial0.001
Na589.592Radial0.05
P177.434Axial0.03
S181.975
Axial0.06
Si252.851Radial0.07
Sr460.733Axial0.002
Ti337.279Axial0.002
Zn213.857Axial0.003

Accuracy and Precision

The following tables show the precision and accuracy obtained in coal and fly ash with three different certified reference materials (CRMs) (10 replicates for each CRM). The precision expresses the closeness of the results obtained in a series of 10 measurements made with the same sample while the accuracy is the proximity of measurement results to the true value. Both were calculated based on the certified values of the following certified reference materials: EOP-12-1-02, NCS FC28127 and VS 7177-95. 

Table 3: Precision and accuracy in brown coal fly ash with reference material EOP 12-1-02
ElementsCertified values (%)Experimental values (%)Precision
t0,975 ; 9  (%)
Accuracy
(%)
RSD
(%)
Al16.1
16.30.198.7
0.5
Ca1.491.44
0.04
96.5
3.9
Fe5.175.21
0.0299.20.5
K0.6510.630
0.01196.72.4
Mg0.581
0.6230.00293.00.5
Na
0.361
0.370.01
97.63.5
Si
22.9
23.80.4
96.33.7
Ti3.613.44
0.01
95.30.5
Table 4: Precision and accuracy in coal ash with reference material NCS FC28127
ElementsCertified values (%)Experimental values (%)Precision
t0,975 ; 9  (%)
Accuracy 
(%) 
RSD 
(%) 
Al3.473.370.0397.1
1.2
Ca1.88
1.890.0499.32.8
Fe1.021.050.0197.4
1.0
K0.290.2810.00597.02.5
Mg0.28
0.2940.00294.70.8
Na0.0520.0520.00199.62.2
Si5.616.050.0692.21.3
Ti0.180.1730.00296.41.4
Table 5: Precision and accuracy in coal with reference material VS 7177-95
ElementsCertified values (%)*Experimental values (%) n=10Precision t0,975;9 (%)Accuracy 
(%)
RSD
%)
Al14.3314.00.197.71.3
Ca3.493.700.0694.02.4
Fe3.833.730.0397.31.0
K0.493.730.00691.01.9
Mg0.893
0.8740.00997.91.5
Na0.100.110.0197.63.1
Si27.4328.60.495.72.1
Ti0.360.3570.00399.31.2
*Measured as Al but reported as Al2O3 on the certificate of analysis provided with material

Recovery

Table 6 shows the recovery values obtained in different matrixes. Recovery was calculated on five replicates in each of the certified reference materials used.

Table 6: Recovery obtained in coal, ash and fly ash
ElementsEOP 12-1-02
(Brown coal fly ash)
NCS FC28127
(Coal ash)
VS 7177-95
(Coal)
Spiked values 

(mg/L)

Recovery
(%)
RSD
(%)
Spiked values 

(mg/L)

Recovery
(%)
RSD
(%)
Spiked values 

(mg/L)

Recovery
(%)
RSD
(%)
Ba
11020.41102111030.2
K3913510223914
Mn1102
151000.7
11040.6
P19911103111013
197
3510011963
Sr
196111000.91983
Zn
11000.711010.911011

Conclusions

The results presented in the previous tables indicate that sample preparation by borate fusion followed by ICP-OES analysis is an effective method to analyse coal and fly ash. The accuracy obtained (between 91.0 and 99.6%) combined with an excellent recovery (100% ± 3% for most elements with a relative standard deviation below 3% for all elements, except for two of them) show that the method is highly efficient. The method also showed good precision, thus proving its receptivity. This demonstrates that the use of LeNeo fusion instrument leads to reproducible and efficient methods, despite the sample dissolution to reduce its salt content.

References 

[ 1 ] Coal Association of Canada. “About Coal”. Retrieved from the Website www.coal.ca. Calgary, Alberta. 2015.
[ 2 ] Coal Association of Canada. “Module 1: Coal Evolution”. Retrieved from the official Website at http://www.coal.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/module1_evolution.pdf. Calgary, Alberta. 2003. 12pp.
[ 3 ] PITRE, J. and BÉDARD, M. “Characterization of Coal and its By-products Using Borate Fusion and ICP-OES Analysis”. ICP-OES application note. 2014.

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