Speciation of nickel in Canadian subbituminous and bituminous feed coals, and their ash by-products.
The nickel species in the feed coals and ash by-products from seven Canadian power plants (including one with a fluidized bed combuster) burning local subbituminous and bituminous coals with sulfur contents ranging from 0.22 to 3.6% have been examined using nickel XANES spectroscopy. XANES spectroscopy of Ni in coal and coal derived ash is complicated by a poor signal : noise ratio due to fluorescence of the much more abundant iron in the coal. Nevertheless, it has proved possible to show that the Ni environment in coals varies from largely oxidic species to mixtures of Ni-containing oxide and sulfide species. The nickel in one oxidized coal appears to be present as nickel sulfate. Nickel in all bottom and fly ash samples examined appears also to be present largely in oxygen anion environments. With the exception of one fly ash sample, for which the Ni exhibited spectral features similar to those for Ni(2+) in spinel or oxide phases, the nickel in the bottom and fly ash samples appears to exist largely as Ni(2+) in environments similar to those reported for Ni in silicate glasses. The data obtained indicate that the presence of potentially carcinogenic nickel sulfides in ash by-products from combustion of these coals is unlikely.
Geological Survey of Canada-Calgary Division, 3303-33rd Street N.W., Calgary, Alberta T2L 2A7, Canada.
Fariborz
F
Goodarzi
Frank
F
Huggins
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D002170:Canada; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis*; D003031:Coal / Q000032:analysis*; D060729:Coal Ash; D009532:Nickel / Q000032:analysis*; D052638:Particulate Matter; D011210:Power Plants; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods; D013455:Sulfur / Q000032:analysis
D000393:Air Pollutants; D003031:Coal; D060729:Coal Ash; D052638:Particulate Matter; D013455:Sulfur; D002244:Carbon; D009532:Nickel; C017558:nickel sulfide