Experiment # 1 Coal

Analysis

Experiment # 1

Title:
Coal Analysis

Objective:
To perform “Proximate analysis” of given sample of air dried coal:

a) To determine the percentage of moisture content.

b) To determine the percentage of moisture matter.
c) To determine the percentage of Ash.
d) To determine the percentage of fixed carbon.

Apparatus:
Muffle furnace, Crucible and Petri dish, Oven, Stop watch, Balance, Desiccator and
given sample of Coal.

Chemicals:
Coal

Theory:

Contents:
 Introduction
 Types of coal
 Chemical composition of coal
 Comparison of different types of coal
 Coal analysis
 Proximate analysis
 Ultimate analysis
 Basic report of coal analysis
 Definitions

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Experiment # 1 Coal
Analysis

Introduction:
Coal was known to man thousands of years ago. Asian writing tells us that 3000 years
ago Chinese knew the several kind of black rocks wood burn and in part of the country there
was little wood they use to dig in to the earth to find this black rock for their fire purposes.

Types of coal:
There are four types of coal

1. Peat
2. Lignite
3. Bituminous
4. Anthracite

Coal is formed vegetable matter which gets converted in to the coal via different stages of
maturity of coal mainly,

1. Peat
2. Lignite
3. Bituminous
4. Anthracite

Figure 1Types of Coal

Peat:

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Experiment # 1 Coal
Analysis

Peat is the first state in the formation of coal (if it is not deeply burry it will never
become coal) from wood under the action of pressure, temperature and bacteria. Peat is brown
in color and highly fibrous in nature. With increase in depth the color became darker and
finally black. The type of peat usually dug for fuels consist of the partially decay reaps and
mosses growing in bogs. Peat bogs often called mosses are found in the Ireland, Scotland and
summerset as well as many part of the world.

Lignite:
It is the second layer in the formation of from wood. Brown coal results from the first
state alternation of buried peat. It is brown and often be seen to compose of decay woody
material.

Bituminous:
The most common type of coal use in houses and factories is called bituminous coal. It
is always black and is made up of bands or layers which varies from bright and glassy to dull
and sooty. This type of coal generally breaks in to rectangular blocks or long planes of
cleavages (cleat of coal).

Anthracite:
Anthracite is the form of coal showing the greatest amount of change or alternation of
the peaty layers of which it was originally formed. It is hard and show little sign of bending
but as a shines rather like dull steal and it breaks in to skew shape blocks.

Chemical composition of coal:

Coal contain a variety of chemical ingredients not all of which are combustible. Coal is
sub divided in two classes

1. Combustible
2. Non Combustible

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Experiment # 1 Coal
Analysis

Solid Fuel

Combustible Non combustible

Non Volatile
Volatile
Carbonaceous Moisture Inorganic Ash
Hydrocarbons
Polymeric

Composition of different types of coal:

Peat Lignite Bituminous Anthracite

Carbon Content % 23 42 75-90 91-93
Moisture Content % 53 35 6-10 1-2
Volatile Matter % 26 28 20-40 2-9
Ash % 6 6 8.35 7
Caloric Value (Kcal/Kg) 4600 6000 7900 7700

Analysis of coal:
The primary methods for the analysis of coal are

1. Proximate analysis
2. Ultimate analysis

Proximate analysis:
Moisture, Ash, Volatile matter and fixed carbon.

Effect of Moisture on coal:

 Reduce caloric value
 Increase consumption of coal
 Increase heating time

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Experiment # 1 Coal
Analysis

 Transportation of coal carry extra weight of moisture present in it we pay extra for
transport

Effect of volatile matter on coal:

 Low ignition temperature
 Burns with long yellow smelly flame
 Low caloric value
 Require large volume of combustion
 High tendency to catch fire when store in open place

Effect of ash:
 A coal with high ash content harder and stronger
 Low caloric value

Fixed Carbon:
Fixed carbon = 100 – (Moisture + VM + Ash)

Ultimate Analysis:
 Elemental carbon
 Elemental hydrogen
 Elemental sulfur
 Elemental nitrogen
 Elemental Ash
 Elemental Heating Value

Basis for reporting of coal Analysis:

 Run off mine coal
 Receive after size reduction
 Air dry
 Dry coal
 Dry ash free
 Dry mineral matter free
 Mineral matter free

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Experiment # 1 Coal
Analysis

Calorific Value:
The quantity of heat liberated by the combustion of unity, quantity of fuel is called
calorific value.

Unit:
Kcal/Kg for solid and liquid, Kcal/nm3 for gasses.

Nm3 = Volume of gas at normal temperature and pressure which is 25Ċ and 760mmHg
respectively.

Gross Calorific Value:

It is higher calorific value/heating value. Gross calorific value is the quantity of heat
liberated by combusting the fuel in oxygen saturated with water vapors, original material and
final product of bacterial at a reference temperature (25Ċ) and water obtain from the fuel be in
liquid state.

G.C.V = N.C.V + mλ

Net Calorific Value:

It is higher calorific value/heating value. Gross calorific value is the quantity of heat
liberated by combusting the fuel in oxygen saturated with water vapors, original material and
final product of bacterial at a reference temperature (25Ċ) and water obtain from the fuel be in
vapor state.

N.C.V = G.C.V – mλ

Procedure:

Moisture Content

Procedure:
 Take 1g of powdered air dried sample of cal (-72 BS) in Petri dish and weight it.
 Place the sample in oven and heat it for about 105 ̴ 110C° for one hour.
 Remove the dish from oven, cool it in the desiccator and weight it as soon as it gets cool.
 Calculate the loss in weight.
 Calculate the percentage moisture in the coal sample.

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Experiment # 1 Coal
Analysis

Observation and Calculations:

Weight of sample (air dried cool) ¿ Z1 =¿ ¿ g

Weight of sample after heating ¿ Z1 =¿ ¿ g

Loss in weight ¿ Z3 =(Z ¿ ¿1−Z 2 )=¿ g ¿

% age moisture ¿ M 1=(Z 3 /Z 1 )∗100=¿ %

Volatile Matter:

Procedure:
 Take a translucent silica crucible and tare it, till constant weight obtained.
 Take 1g of air dried coal (-72 B.S) in crucible whose moisture content has already been
determined.
 Heat the sample for exactly seven minutes in the muffle furnace at a steady temperature of
900-950 C°.
 Remove the crucible from muffle furnace and cool it in the desiccator as weigh as soon as
cool.
 The loss in the weight is due to the volatile matter evolved as a result of decomposition of
coal plus moisture that was already present in the coal as such and was measured in the
moisture test.
 The measured moisture content is being subtracted from the total loss in weight as
observed during volatile matter test and is reported as volatile matter less moisture.

Observation and Calculations:

Weight of sample (air dried coal) ¿ W 1 =¿ ¿ g

Weight of sample after heating ¿ W 2 =¿ ¿ g

Loss in weight = W 3 =(W ¿ ¿1−W 2 )=¿ ¿ ¿

% Age volatile matter (including moisture) ¿ M 2=W 3 /W 1∗100=¿ %

% Age volatile matter (less moisture) ¿ M 3=( M ¿ ¿ 2−M 1)=¿ % ¿

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Experiment # 1 Coal
Analysis

Ash

Procedure:
 Take a crucible and tare it till a constant weight is obtained.
 Take 1g of air dried sample (-72 BS) in crucible.
 Heat the sample in the furnace at about 800 C° till al the organic matter has been burned
away (ensuring complete combustion in gentle current of air usually half to one hour.
 The residue of inorganic matter is weigh as ash.

OR

 First heat the sample at 400 ̴ 450 C° for 30 min after which incineration is completed by
heating the sample at 775 ± 25 C° for one hour. (Initial rate of combustion is kept slow
because some coal turned to spit or decrepitates).
 The FBR (fuel research board) have found the employing two stages heating, better results
are obtained due to reduced decapitation of coal.

Observation and Calculations:

Weight of sample (air dried coal) ¿ W 1 =¿ ¿ g

Weight of sample after heating ¿ W 2 =¿ ¿ g

Loss in weight ¿ W 3 =(W ¿ ¿ 1−W 2)=¿ ¿ ¿

W3
% Age of ash (including moisture) ¿ M 4= ∗100=¿ %
W1

% Age of ash (less moisture) ¿ M 5=( M ¿ ¿ 4−M 1)=¿ % ¿

Fixed carbon:

Procedure:
 It is the solid carbonaceous residue (other than ash) resulting from volatile matter test. Its
value is calculated by subtracting moisture, volatile matter and ash from 100%.
 It brings the total of the proximate analysis automatically 100%.

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Experiment # 1 Coal
Analysis

% Age fixed carbon ¿ 100−( M 1+ M 3 + M 4 )=¿ %

Observation and Calculations:

% Age fixed carbon ¿ 100−( M 1+ M 5 + M 3 )=¿ %

M 5=100−(M 1 + M 3+ M 4)=¿ %

M 6=100−(M 1 + M 3+ M 5 )=¿ %

Results:
The complete analysis:

1. % Age moisture content _______.

2. % Age volatile matter less moisture _______.
3. % Age ash _______.
4. % Age fixed carbon _______.

Discussion on Results: