Morphology and reactivity in the fossil fuel combustion process

A comprehensive series of experiments have been carried out to investigate the behaviour of 29 sub-bituminous and bituminous coals from around the world, most of which are available on the coal market for pulverised fuel combustion. A size fraction of each coal (106-125 mu m) was pyrolysed using the drop-tube furnace in order to simulate the first stages of combustion. The morphology of the char products was determined using a novel image analysis technique. Several petrographic parameters, including a new total reflectance measurement, were then compared with the subsequent morphological characteristics of their chars, in order to determine any link between coal type and the char produced.