Akihiro Takeyama

Leaching Characteristic of Arsenic in Coal Fly Ash

The leaching characteristics of arsenic from six CFA (coal fly ash) samples collected from a large scale power plant in Japan were investigated to evaluate more fully the rate of leaching of arsenic and related factors on determining arsenic leaching from different type of CFAs. The procedure of standard leaching tests according to Environmental Agency of Japan Notifications No. 13 was employed in this work. The results indicate that the leaching fractions of arsenic were low levels below 15%, and it was affected by CaO content in CFA. Leaching test results were compared with solution equilibrium calculation to consider the leaching mechanisms: however, experimental results were significantly lower than the equilibrium calculation results. To elucidate the leaching mechanisms, the leaching rate was investigated by extending the leaching tests for a long-term. The concentration of arsenic in the leachate was increased with time, and equilibrium between the solid phase (ash) and the leaching solution was reached in approximately 120 days. It is found that the constant a has a good relationship with CaO content in CFAs, in which the constant a (indicated leaching rate of arsenic) was decreased with an increase of CaO content in fly ash. Therefore, the value of the rate constant a can be said to be the main factor determining arsenic leaching.

Direct Quantitative Analysis of Arsenic in Coal Fly Ash

A rapid, simple method based on graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry is described for the direct determination of arsenic in coal fly ash. Solid samples were directly introduced into the atomizer without preliminary treatment. The direct analysis method was not always free of spectral matrix interference, but the stabilization of arsenic by adding palladium nitrate (chemical modifier) and the optimization of the parameters in the furnace program (temperature, rate of temperature increase, hold time, and argon gas flow) gave good results for the total arsenic determination. The optimal furnace program was determined by analyzing different concentrations of a reference material (NIST1633b), which showed the best linearity for calibration. The optimized parameters for the furnace programs for the ashing and atomization steps were as follows: temperatures of 500–1200 and 2150°C, heating rates of 100 and 500°C s−1, hold times of 90 and 7 s, and medium then maximum and medium argon gas flows, respectively. The calibration plots were linear with a correlation coefficient of 0.9699. This method was validated using arsenic-containing raw coal samples in accordance with the requirements of the mass balance calculation; the distribution rate of As in the fly ashes ranged from 101 to 119%.

Arsenic Leachability of Coal Fly Ashes from Different Types of Coal Fired Power Plants

The leaching behavior of arsenic (As) in coal fly ash collected from two different types of coal fired power plants (unit 1 and unit 2: 600 MWe) has been investigated to understand their behavior during combustion and effect of different boiler types on arsenic leachability. To determine dominant factors on arsenic leaching from coal fly ash, the change of arsenic chemical during coal combustion was predicted from the perspective of thermodynamic equilibrium and leaching test under alkaline condition. It found that, arsenic leaching fractions in unit 1 were higher than that of unit 2, it is associated with the amount of reactive CaO (calcium oxide) containing in coal fly ash from unit 1 was lower than that from unit 2. As2O3(gas) formed in the boiler reacts with CaO in the fly ash to form calcium arsenate Ca3(AsO4)2 which is thermodynamically stable calcium-arsenic compound. Hence the coal fly ash from unit 2 having higher CaO/Ash ratios generates more Ca3(AsO4)2 and has lower As leaching fraction than that from unit 1. CaO/Ash ratios were a promising index to reduce arsenic leachability from fly ash.