COAL MINERAL MATTER TRANSFORMATION DURING COMBUSTION AND ITS EFFECTS ON GAS-TURBINE BLADE DEPOSITION AND EROSION

The reaction pathways along which mineral matter is transformed during pulverized coal combustion and the corresponding characteristics of t he ash formed are especially important from the standpoint of coal-fir ed gas turbine operation. Using a novel FT-IR technique and EDX analys is, these mineral matter transformations are investigated when coal is burned in a pulverized coal-dust burner. The mineral transformations of quartz, gypsum, calcite, dolomite, pyrite, and those of the alumino silicate minerals, kaolinite and montmorillonite, have been evaluated. Discussion of the results focuses on the effect of these mineral tran sformations on the deposition and erosive characteristics of the resul ting combustion-generated ash.