Background

Coal is a rich source of energy and is combusted to produce heat. Coal-fired power plants use this energy to produce electricity. During combustion, two types of ash are formed. The heavier ash collects at the bottom of the boiler with the boiler slag, while the lighter fly ash escapes up the exhaust stacks with the volatile flue gasses as a fine powder and is collected by various means. Fly ash is rich in several important elements and has many beneficial uses. Its main use is as a major component of cement and concrete, as well as fill material for asphalt and roads. Fly ash is the main component of eco-friendly green cement, producing a strong, long-lasting cement with a lower carbon footprint than traditional Portland cement. Additionally, coal ash is also used to enhance soil quality, improving drainage and adding nutrients to the soil. 

Coal fly ash may contain trace levels of heavy metals, so testing is critical to ensure it is safe before using it in cement production or as a soil enhancer, among other uses. The Rigaku NEX CG II powered by Rigaku’s RPF-SQX Fundamental Parameters software is offered to address these needs.

Scope

The analysis of coal fly ash is demonstrated using NEX CG II, an indirect excitation EDXRF analyzer featuring a Cartesian Geometry optical kernel that employs polarized excitation from secondary targets.