Standardization News

A proposed new standard on determining the total amount of fluorine and chlorine in coal and coke will be useful to those working with power plant boilers as well as by those in government and industry who are trying to model the release of anions into the environment.

The proposed new standard is WK33343, Test Method for Total Fluorine and Chlorine in Coal, Coke and their Residues by Oxidative Pyrohydrolytic Combustion Followed by Ion Chromatography Detection (Combustion Ion Chromatography-CIC). WK33343 is being developed by Subcommittee D05.29 on Major Elements in Ash and Trace Elements of Coal, part of ASTM International Committee D05 on Coal and Coke.

"Total chlorine is important in the evaluation of deposition and corrosion issues in engineering processes," says John Bullock, quality manager, SGS Minerals Services, and a D05.29 member. "Total fluorine is useful in the evaluation of potential fluorine emissions from coal combustion or conversion processes."

Bullock says that participation from interested parties is welcome in the ongoing development of WK33343. An interlaboratory study is currently under way, and D05.29 would be particularly interested in hearing from laboratories that test for fluorine by D3761, Test Method for Total Fluorine in Coal by the Oxygen Bomb Combustion/Ion Selective Electrode Method, or D5987, Test Method for Total Fluorine in Coal and Coke by Pyrohydrolytic Extraction and Ion Selective Electrode or Ion Chromatograph Methods; and/or chlorine, by D4208, Test Method for Total Chlorine in Coal by the Oxygen Bomb Combustion/Ion Selective Electrode Method.

"Having a side-by-side comparison of samples analyzed between these standards and the proposed new standard would be particularly helpful," says Bullock.

CONTACT Technical Information: John H. Bullock, SGS North America Inc. • Denver, Colo. • Phone: 303-373-4772 • O ASTM Staff: Scott Orthey • Phone: 610-832-9730 • O Upcoming Meeting: Oct. 30-Nov. 2 • October Committee Week • Tampa, Fla.

Equipment used in the test method for total fluorine and chlorine described in WK33343.