Characterization and catalytic activity of coal mineral matter

Low temperature ash (LTA) samples prepared from nine US coals were characterized by X-ray diffraction. X-ray fluorescence, and surface area analyses. The results showed that illite, kaolinite, quartz and pyrite are major components in LTAs and that SFe ratios of some LTAs decreased significantly after H2 treatment implying the occurrence of a partial reduction of pyrite during this treatment. Surface areas of LTAs increased drastically on H2 treatment but decreased after exposure to sulphur and nitrogen compounds in activity testing. Correlations for the surface areas of LTAs before and after H2 treatment were found in terms of clay content and element concentrations.