Petrology and minor element chemistry of combustion by-products from the co-combustion of coal, tire-derived fuel, and petroleum coke at a western Kentucky cyclone-fired unit

A western Kentucky power plant conducted a series of test burns with coal+tire-derived fuel (tdf) and coal+tire-derived fuel+petroleum coke blends. Collections of fuel, fly ash, and bottom ash/slag were made from the cyclone-fired unit under four fuel combinations: coal, coal+ca. 1% tdf, coal+ca. 3% tdf, and coal+ca. 3% tdf+petroleum coke. Fly ash carbons derived from the three fuel types can be distinguished, allowing an assessment of the impact of co-combustion on fly ash quality. While certain aspects of the ash chemistry are distinctive, Zn increasing in tdf-derived fly ash and Ni and V increasing in petroleum coke-derived fly ash, changes in the coal source between sampling dates complicate the assessment of the chemistry.