Coal ash and limestone interactions in quicklime production

Abstract

This paper reports on results from detailed studies on coal ash and limestone interactions during calcination. Industrially produced quicklime from a coal-fired rotary kiln was analyzed and compared with laboratory-scale studies of surface interactions between two coal ashes and limestone. Exposure tests were performed at 1,100 °C and 1,350 °C, in a high CO2 atmosphere. SEM-EDX analyses of the ash-quicklime interface were performed to detect and quantify changes in microstructure, as well as the depth of ash interaction into quicklime. Stable phases in the ash-quicklime interface were assessed by multi-component chemical equilibrium calculations based on local EDX analysis. The industrially produced quicklime showed intrusion by extraneous elements, mainly Al and Si, up to 800 µm into the quicklime, in accordance with expected ash composition, based on the ash analysis of coal fuel used. In laboratory-scale and 1,100 °C, ashes appeared solid to a large extent, and no distinctive microstructure difference of quicklime was observed underneath the ash-quicklime interface. At 1,350 °C, the ashes appeared molten to a large extent, and the quicklime microstructure was affected compared to at 1,100 °C, resulting in densification. For both temperatures and both coal ashes, the interface reactions reduced the amount of reactive CaO, thereby resulting in a decrease in product quality. The laboratory methodology was shown to be useful to increase mechanistic understanding of the ash-quicklime interactions. The method could be expanded to test other limestone qualities and fuels, e.g. renewable biofuels.