TOXIC MATERIALS PARTITIONING DURING PULVERIZED COAL COMBUSTION: MEASUREMENT AND PRODUCTION

OF THE 189 SPECIES DESIGNATED AS TOXIC AIR POLLUTANTS BY THE CLEAN AIR ACT AMENDMENTS (CAAA), 37, INCLUDING 11 METALS, ARE FOUND IN EFFLUENT STREAMS OF COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS. FUTURE REGULATIONS MAY REQUIRE UTILITY OPERATORS TO CAREFULLY MONITOR AND REDUCE EMISSIONS OF THESE TOXIC METALS. HOWEVER, VERY LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE FUNDAMENTAL TRANSFORMATIONS OF THESE METALS IN COMBUSTION SYSTEMS. CURRENT MODELS TO PREDICT EMISSIONS ARE BASED ON EXISTING INFORMATION ON METAL EMISSIONS AND ARE OF LIMITED USEFULNESS IN EXPLORING EMISSIONS OF NOVEL FUEL BLENDS AND BOILER CONFIGURATIONS. THIS PROJECT WILL BOTH OBTAIN FUNDAMENTAL INFORMATION ON PARTITIONING MECHANISMS FOR THREE TRACE METALS AND DEVELOP A DIRECTLY MARKETABLE TOOL TO PREDICT PARTITIONING OF THESE METALS IN UTILITY BOILERS. THESE METALS INCLUDE ARSENIC, SELENIUM, AND MERCURY. IN PHASE I COMBUSTION STUDIES WILL BE USED TO DETERMINE THE GOVERNING MECHANISMS FOR PARTITIONING OF THE SPECIFIED METALS. A COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE PACKAGE, BASED ON THESE MECHANISMS, WILL BE DEVELOPED TO PREDICT METAL PARTITIONING IN UTILITY BOILERS.