Laboratory

Experimen
PROXIMATE ANALYSIS OF SOLID FUELS
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I. INTRODUCTION

Fuels can be generally classified as non-renewable and renewable. Over 85% of

the energy used in the world is from non-renewable supplies. Most developed nations
are dependent on non-renewable energy sources such as fossil fuels (coal, oil and
nature gas) and nuclear power. These sources are called non-renewable because they
cannot be renewed or regenerated quickly enough to keep pace with their use. Some
sources of energy are renewable or potentially renewable. Examples of renewable
energy sources are: solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, biomass, and wind.

Fuels are substances that react with oxygen in air and give off a relatively
large amount of heat. Reacting with oxygen in air, combustion, is a very
commonly observed type of reaction that is very useful, due to the large
quantities of heat energy liberated. How much heat is generated depends on
what type of fuel is burned and how much of the fuel is burned.
Sufficient, reliable sources of energy are a necessity for industrialized nations.
Useful forms of energy are often obtained from primary energy sources by suitable
energy conversions. It is concerned with the transformation of energy from sources
such as fossil and nuclear fuels and the Sun into heat and then to conveniently used
forms such as electrical energy, rotational and propulsive energy, and heating and
cooling.

II. INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

To be able to design and conduct an experiment involving solid

fuels
To be able to apply the proximate analysis of the solid fuels used
To be able to know the importance of the experiment

III. MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT AND REAGENTS

MATERIALS EQUIPMENT REAGENTS
Corn cabs Analytical balance
Coconut shell Furnace
Wood oven
Crucible and cover
Tongs
Desiccator

EXPERIMENT SETUP

Furnace
Crucibles with
the solid fuels
inside

CHE 306|ORGANIC CHEMISTRY LABORATORY MANUAL

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IV. PROCEDURE
1. Wear proper PPE in doing the experiment.
2. Prepare all the materials and reagents needed.
3. Weigh the 3 empty crucibles with cover and record its mass.
4. Label each crucible to avoid error in the calculations.
5. Add 5grams of each solid fuel in the each crucible.
6. Reweigh it and record its mass.
7. Measurement of moisture content
7.1. Place the 3 crucibles with the fuel in the oven.
7.2. Heat them for 1hr at 110-120 C.
7.3. Remove them from the furnace and let them cool at room
temperature in the desiccator.
7.4. Weigh the crucibles and record the mass.
7.5. Calculate the moisture content by subtracting the obtained
mass from the initial mass then divide to the mass of the
sample.

initial massmass after heating

% moisture = mass after sample (100%)

8. Calculation of Volatile Combustible matter

8.1. Place again the 3 crucibles inside the furnace.
8.2. Heat it for 7mins at 925 C.
8.3. Remove them from the furnace and let them cool at room
temperature in the desiccator.
8.4. Reweigh the 3 crucibles and record the mass.
8.5. Calculate the VCM by
VCM = mass of the crucible after first heating mass after
second heating
% VCM =
mass of the crucible after first heatingmass after second heating
mass after sample
9. Calculation of the ash content
9.1. Place again the 3 crucibles inside the furnace.
9.2. Heat it for 1hr at 925 C.
9.3. Remove them from the furnace and let them cool at room
temperature in the desiccator.
9.4. Reweigh the 3 crucibles and record the mass.
9.5. Calculate the Ash content
Ash content = mass of crucibles after the second heating
mass of the crucible after the third heating
% ash content =
i mass of crucibles after the second heatingm mass of the crucible after thethird heating
mass after sample
10. Calculation of Fixed Carbon
10.1. Subtract the misture, ash content and VCM from the total
mass of the sample.
FC = mass of sample M Ash - VCM

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11. Tabulate all the results precisely and calculate the required
values.

V. DATA AND RESULTS

Initial Values

Sample No Mass (g)

1 Corn cabs 5.01
2 Coconut shell 5.02
3 wood 5.04

Sample No Mass of crucible w/o cover

with different sample
1 23.42
2 33.93
3 36.17

Moisture content (After 1hr)

Sample No Mass w/o Moisture %

cover (g)
1 22.55 .87 17.37
2 33.64 .29 5.78
3 35.80 .37 7.34

VCM Content

Sample No Mass w/o VCM %

cover (g)
1 18.87 3.68 73.45
2 30.02 3.62 72.11
3 32.11 3.69 73.21

Ash content

Sample No Mass w/o Ash %

cover (g)
1 18.60 .27 5.39
2 29.32 .7 13.94
3 31.21 .9 17.86

FIXED CARBON

Sample No Mass FC %

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1 0.19 3.79
2 0.41 8.17
3 0.08 1.59

VI. CALCULATIONS

initial massmass after heating

Moisture content = mass after sample (100%)

23.4222.55
= (100 )
5.01

= 17.37%
22.5518.87
VCM content = 5.01 (100%)

= 73.45%
obtained massmass after heating
ASH content = mass after sample (100%)

18.8718.60
= (100 )
5.01

= 5.39%
FC Content = mass of sample M Ash VCM
5.01.87 3.68.27.19
= 5.01

= 3.79%

VII. ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

In the proximate analysis, the masses of the crucibles together with the
solid fuels are first determine. The mass of the solid fuels used are set
into 5grams. Heating the samples for 1hr at 110-120 C is enough to
remove the moisture content the samples.
The moisture content that was able to withdrawn from the corn cabs is
17.37, from the coconut shell is 5.78 while in the wood is 7.34. With this
values, it is clear that the corn cabs has the higher amount of moisture
content. High moisture fuel makes render agglomeration and incomplete
combustion.
In determining VCM, the VCM content of corn cabs is 73.45, in coconut
shell is 72.11 while in the wood is 73.21. With this it has the same result

CHE 306|ORGANIC CHEMISTRY LABORATORY MANUAL

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which has the highest value. The volatile matter is an imperical coal
quality parameter used for estimating the reactivity of a coal.
In the fixed carbon content, coke residue beside ash. The corn cabs has
5.39, the coconut shell has 13.94 while the wood has 17.86 fixed carbon
content. This time the corn cabs has the lowest ash content followed by
coconut shell and wood.
In the ash content, the computed ash in corn cabs is 3.79, coconut shell
has 8.17 and the wood has 1.59. The larger the residue the more ash is
to be disposed after the utilization of the fuel.

VIII. CONCLUSION

In doing the experiment, were able to design and construct a

procedure to have proximate analysis. Our group may not finish the
experiment due to the insufficient space in the furnace but the
procedure applied in the experiment is the same as ours.

Its concluded that in terms of moisture content and VCM content the
corn cabs has the highest values such as 17.37 and 73.45 respectively.
While the coconut shell has the least with 5.78 and 72.11 respectively.
But in terms of the fixed carbon, the corn cabs has the lowest value
while wood has the highest. It can be concluded that as the moisture
and VCM content increases the fixed carbon contained decreases.

It is important to determine the proximate analysis of the solid fuels. It

can help to determine the contents of fuels such as moisture, VCM, Ash
and Fixed Carbon. After determining this values, the solid fuels can be
evaluate which is more efficient and practical to use.

IX. RECOMMENDATION
In performing the experiment, be careful in handling the crucibles
after heating. Be careful in returning it back to the furnace, it may
cause fire when the solid fuels were touch the furnace surface.
Wearing gloves is very important to protect the hands from too
much heat that may cause burns.

X. REFERENCES

Fuels. HEB 15.pdf

Los Angeles City College, Chemistry 51, Experiment 9, The Energy Content of
Fuels.,2007. ACCESS:March 20, 2016. Available[ONLINE]
http://www.csun.edu/~alchemy/Chem51-LACC/Labs/C51F07L09.pdf

CHE 306|ORGANIC CHEMISTRY LABORATORY MANUAL