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CHARACTERIZATION OF FINE PARTICULATE MATTER PRODUCED BY COMBUSTION OF RESIDUAL FUEL OIL
Citation:
Huffman, G., F. E. Huggins, N. Shah, R. Huggins, W P. Linak*, C A. Miller*, AND et al. CHARACTERIZATION OF FINE PARTICULATE MATTER PRODUCED BY COMBUSTION OF RESIDUAL FUEL OIL. JOURNAL OF THE AIR AND WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION. Air & Waste Management Association, Pittsburgh, PA, 50(7):1106-1114, (2000).
Description:
Combustion experiments were carried out on four different residual fuel oils in a 732-kW boiler. PM emission samples were separated aerodynamically by a cyclone into fractions that were nominally less than (PM2.5) and greater (PM2.5+) that 2.5 micrometers in diameter. However, examination of several of the samples by computer-controlled scanning electron microscopy revealed that part of the PM2.5 fraction consists of carbonaceous cenospheres and vesticular particles that range up to 10 micrometers in diameter. X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy data were obtained at the S, V, Ni, Fe, Cu, Zn, and As K-edges and at the Pb L-edge. Deconvolution of the X-ray absorption near edge structure region of the S spectra established that the dominant molecular forms of S present were sulfate (26-84% of total S) and thiophene (13-39% of total S). Sulfate was greater in the PM2.5 samples than in the PM2.5+ samples. Inorganic sulfides and elemental S were present in lower percentages. The Ni X-ray absorption near edge structure spectra from all of the samples agreed fairly well with that of NiSO4, wile most of the V spectra closely resembled that of vanadyl sulfate (VO*SO4*xH2O). The other metals investigated (i.e., Fe, Cu, Zn, and Pb) also were present predominantly as sulfates. Arsenic was present as an arsenate (As+5). X-ray diffraction patterns of the PM2.5 fraction exhibited sharp lines due to sulfate compounds (Xn, V, Ni, Ca, etc.) superimposed on broad peaks due to amorphous carbons. All of the samples contained a significant organic component, with the loss on ignition ranging from 64 to 87% for the PM2.5 fraction and from 88 to 97% for the PM2.5+ fraction. Based on (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance analysis, the carbon is predominantly condensed in graphitic structures. Alphatic structure was detected in only one of the seven samples examined.