Sequential transformation study of minerals during underground coal gasification: Promising to indirectly reflect the actual reaction condition

Abstract

AbstractThe mineralogical characteristics of underground coal gasification (UCG) residuals are closely related to the gasification conditions. The study of the mineral composition and transformation of ash and slag under different gasification conditions has important scientific significance for understanding the real gasification conditions, improving the utilization efficiency of coal, and identifying and controlling the environmental impact. In this paper, the sequential transformation of minerals under different temperature and atmosphere are studied by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and FactSage software, and the elemental composition of the surface of the UCG ash and slag is characterized by SEM‐EDX. The results show that the main minerals in the semicoke are quartz (SiO2), illite (K1.5Al4(Si6.5Al1.5)O20(OH)4), and sanidine (KAlSi3O8). In the 900–1300°C reduction, ash, quartz, sanidine, hercynite (FeAl2O4), anorthite (CaAl2Si2O8), and mullite (Al6Si2O13) are the main minerals. The minerals in the oxidation residuals (1100–1500°C) are quartz, anorthite, hematite (Fe2O3), hercynite, cordierite (Fe2Al4Si5O18), and cristobalite. The reaction temperature has a significant effect on the changes in mineralogy. The reaction temperature is low during the pyrolysis process, and most changes involve only structural changes. With the reaction temperature increases, a series of reactions occur between different minerals. The reaction atmosphere also has a significant effect on the mineralogy. The research on the transformation of minerals in UCG residues can indirectly reflect the actual process of UCG, which can provide suggestions for the stable operation of the UCG process.