PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS OF UPGRADED WESTERN CANADIAN COALS

Three Western Canadian coals with different ranks have been upgraded b y evaporative drying in several atmosphere at temperatures up to 500-d egrees-C. Data from proximate and ultimate analyses, along with equili brium moistures and heating values, have been evaluated by principal c omponent analysis. The results indicate that significant changes in th e products occur above 400-degrees-C for lignite and above 300-degrees -C for subbituminous B and high-volatile C bituminous coals. No signif icant differences are observed when the data for the upgraded coals ar e compared with published data for naturally occurring Western Canadia n and US coals of the same rank.