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Classification systems have been developed in various countries to characterise the commodity value of coals. What all systems have in common is that they are based on the extrinsic and intrinsic properties of the coals. The coal class says something about the proportion of mineral components, the coal type defines the petrographic composition and the degree of maturity of the coals provides information about the degree of coalification.

Prozessanalytik ETV
Thomas Vogt

The raw material value and the behaviour in the process is therefore not only derived from the total content of the elements, but also strongly from their bonding form. In particular, conclusions can be drawn about the process behaviour from the bonding forms of the heteroatoms oxygen and sulphur. As part of the BMWi-funded joint project and bilateral projects with industry, the focus is on the development of a process-accompanying measurement technology ETV-ICP OES for monitoring fuel quality. The analysis method not only enables rapid multi-element analysis including trace substances such as Hg down to the ppb range, but also the determination of the temperature-dependent release behaviour of batch formers or interfering components, from which binding forms or the speciation of the elements (e.g. pyritic/organic sulphur; silicate/clay or organic oxygen) can also be derived. By integrating this measurement technology into a forecasting model, it should ultimately be possible to provide operationally supportive recommendations for the low-slag operation of lignite-fired power plants.

Sulfur and Oxgen species, time resolved via ETV-ICP-OES
Thomas Vogt

Cooperation partners

  • LEAG
  • RWE Power Ag
  • DBI Virtuhcon GmbH
  • TU Bergakademie Freiberg, IEC-EVT
  • BMWi

Publications

  • Vogt, D.; Vogt, T.; Wolf, B.; Otto, M. (2016) Direct determination of organic and inorganic oxygen in coals from the Argonne Premium sample program by solid sampling electrothermal vaporisation inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Fuel 196:185-194
  • Bauer, D.; Vogt T.; Klinger, M.; Masset, P.J.; Otto, M. (2014) Direct determination of sulfur species in coals from the Argonne Premium Sample Program by solid sampling electrothermal vaporization inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Analytical Chemistry 86(20):10380-10388
  • Bauer, D.; Vogt T.; Lehmann, F.; Otto, M. (2014) Direct determination of sulfur in coal by electrothermal vaporisation coupled with atomic emission spectrometry. Chemie Ingenieur Technik 86(10):1806-1811

Germanium speciation in plant samples

Element speciation analysis also plays an important role in the field of environmental and bioanalysis. In particular, heavy metals and metalloids in their compounds are analysed using various coupling techniques in order to characterise the toxicity, mobility, distribution and availability of the individual species. For species analysis, the ICP atomic emission spectrometers or mass spectrometers are coupled with liquid chromatography or electrothermal vaporisation. Another way of analysing species is through selective dissolution tests and subsequent elemental analysis.

The PhytoGerm project (germanium extraction from biomass) involved the investigation of plants with regard to their accumulation of germanium. This is absorbed to varying degrees by different plant species and parts.

The measurements of the dried plant parts were carried out using electrothermal vaporisation coupled to an ICP atomic emission spectrometer.

Project partners:

  • Bauer Umwelt GmbH
  • Muldenhütten Recycling und Umwelttechnik GmbH
  • Naturkundemuseum Chemnitz
  • Institute of Biosciences (TU Bergakademie Freiberg)
  • Institute of Technical Chemistry (TU Bergakademie Freiberg)
  • Institute of Inorganic Chemistry (TU Bergakademie Freiberg)

Publications:

  • Heilmeier Hermann, Wiche Oliver, Tesch Silke, Aubel Ines, Schreiter Norbert, Bertau Martin, (2016) Germanium extraction from biomass-PhytoGerm. In: Thomé-Kozmiensky KJ, Goldmann D (eds) Recycling und Rohstoffe, vol. 9. TK Verlag Karl Thomé-Kozmiensky, Neuruppin, Neuruppin, pp 177-192
  • Wiche, Oliver; Balazs, Szekely; Kummer, Nicolai-Alexeji; Heinemann, Ute; Tesch, Silke; Heilmeier, Hermann: Bioavailable concentrations of germanium and rare earth elements in soils affected by low molecular weight organic acids and root exudates. In: Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol. 16: 2014.
  • Brandt, Heike; Tesch, Silke; Otto, Matthias. (2009): Screening methods for the environment and bioanalyties. Screening for metals and their species based on HPLC-ICP-OES coupling. In: GIT Labor-Fachz. 53 (1), pp. 11-13.