Applied mineralogical investigation on coal gasification ash

This work aims to perform the applied mineralogical characterization of coal gasification ash (CGA) generated from a commercial fixed bed downdraft gasification plant in eastern India. Analytical and characterization techniques such as stereomicroscopy, optical microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) attached, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), energy dispersive x-ray spec-trometer associated scanning electron microscope (SEM-EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were applied for analyzing the coal and the corresponding gasification ash sample. These analytical techniques illustrate that SiO2 and Al2O3 are the major gasification ash phases, accounting for almost 85% of the entire CGA composition. The dominant mineral phases, such as quartz, mullite, and other alumi-nosilicates, provide an opportunity for utilization in construction and refractory material manufacturing. Moreover, confirming the presence of rare and valuable earth elements (RVEEs) in the CGA sample with SEM-EDX analysis unearths a new application window in meeting the requirement of the RVEEs starved nation like India, where very few commercial-scale coal gasification units are operational.

Automated summary

This study performs applied mineralogical characterization of coal gasification ash (CGA) from a commercial fixed bed downdraft gasification plant in eastern India. The results show that SiO2 and Al2O3 are the major components of CGA, accounting for about 85% of the total composition. The dominant mineral phases, such as quartz and mullite, have potential applications in construction and refractory material manufacturing. Moreover, the presence of rare and valuable earth elements (RVEEs) in CGA suggests a new opportunity for meeting the demand in RVEEs-starved countries like India.