DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, LNCT BHOPAL

MATERIAL AND ENERGY BALANCE LAB (CM – 404)

LAKSHMI NARAIN COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY, BHOPAL

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
B.E. (III SEMESTER)
MATERIAL & ENERGY BALANCE LAB (CM – 304)

EXPERIMENT: 08

AIM OF EXPERIMENT: Proximate analysis of coal sample.

REQUIREMENTS:

APPARATUS: Silica crucible, weighing balance, oven, muffle furnace and

desiccators.

CHEMICALS: Coal sample

THEORY:

Coal is a highly carboneous matter that has been found as a result

of alteration of vegetable matter (i.e. plants) under certain favorable
conditions. It is mainly composed of C, H, N & O, besides non combustible
matter.

Following are the properties of coal which is required to be known before

selection of coal for a particular purpose—

1. CALORIFIC VALUE: The calorific value of the coal should be high, so

that large quantity of heat can be obtained from a smaller quantity
of coal.

2. MOISTURE CONTENT: - It should be low as it causes the reduction in

calorific value of coal; it increases the weight of coal.

3. VOLATILE MATTER CONTENT: - A high volatile matter means the high

proportion of fuel will distill over as gas or vapor, a large proportion of
which escapes unburnt. So high volatile matter in coal is undesirable,
Coal with high volatile matter will burns with long flame, high smoke &
low calorific value.

4. ASH CONTENT: - It is a useless, non combustible matter, which reduces

the calorific value of coal. More over it causes the hindrance to the
flow of air and heat, thereby lowering the temperature. It leads to

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 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, LNCT BHOPAL
MATERIAL AND ENERGY BALANCE LAB (CM – 404)

clinker formation. Hence lower the ash content, better the quality of
coal. It also increases the handing storage and transportation cost.

5. FIXED CARBON: - Higher is the percentage of fixed carbon, greater is

its calorific value and better is the quality of coal. Further greater is
the percentage of fixed carbon smaller is the percentage of volatile
matter. Higher is the percentage of fixed carbon higher is the calorific
value so the coal with higher percentage of fixed carbon is desirable.

In order to access the quantity of coal following two type of analysis are
made:-
1. Proximate analysis.
2. Ultimate analysis.

Proximate analysis includes the determination of percentage of moisture,

volatile matter, ash and fixed carbon whereas ultimate analysis includes
the percentage of C, H, and N2, S, ash and oxygen.

PROCEDURE:

Proximate analysis involved the following determinations-

 MOISTURE:
1. Weight the empty crucible.
2. Take one gram of sample in weighed crucible.
3. Place the crucible with coal sample in the hot air oven.
4. Maintain the oven at temperature of 105-110oC.
5. Keep the crucible in oven for 1 hour.
6. Remove the crucible with the help of tongs and place it in
desiccators.
7. Again weigh the sample.
8. Loss in weight is reported as the moisture content.

% Of Moisture = (Loss in weight/wt. of coal taken) X 100

 VOLATILE MATTER:
1. Cover the crucible in (1) with lid and place the crucible in muffle
furnace.
2. Maintain the temperature of muffle furnace at 925 ± 20oC .
3. Keep the crucible for 7 minutes.
4. Keep the crucible in desiccators for cooling.
5. Weigh the crucible again.
6. Loss in weight is reported as volatile matter on percentage basis

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 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, LNCT BHOPAL
MATERIAL AND ENERGY BALANCE LAB (CM – 404)

% of Volatile Matter = (loss on wt. due to removed of volatile

matter/wt. of coal sample taken) X100

 ASH:
1. Keep the residual coal in the crucible in (2) in the muffle furnace
without lid.
2. Maintain the temperature of 700±50 oC in muffle furnace.
3. Remove the crucible and keep it in desiccators for cooling.
4. Keep the crucible for ½ an hour.
5. Again determine the loss in weight.
6. Report the residue as ash (on % basis).

% of Ash = (wt. of ash left / wt. of coal taken) X 100

 FIXED CARBON:

% of fixed carbon = 100 - % of (Moisture + Volatile matter + As

RESULT:
By the proximate analysis of coal following result is obtained by
experiment -
Moisture content = --------------%
V. M.Content = --------------%
Ash content = ---------------%
Carbon content = ---------------%
PRECAUTIONS:-
1. Maintain the temperature of air oven and muffle furnace as
prescribed.
2. Maintain the time of heating the sample in the oven and muffle
furnace as defined otherwise result will include the error.
3. Determine the percentage of all content in sequence as prescribed
in the procedure.
4. after each analysis keep the crucible in desiccators before washing.