A thermodynamic analysis of plasmochemical coal treatment

A thermodynamic analysis has been applied to the multicomponent heterogeneous system represented by coal and oxidant in order to select the optimum plasmo-chemical treatment scheme for low-grade coals. The calculations have been based on the universal program ASTRA-2 for the range 1000-5000 degrees K with a C:O=0.75 mass ratio. Allowance is made for the reactions in the organic and inorganic parts of the coal. It is shown that the plasmochemical treatment can give a synthesis gas under certain conditions that is free from oxides of sulfur and nitrogen, while valuable elements such as Si, A1, and Fe can be isolated from the inorganic part.