The volatilization and condensation of potassium, sodium, silica, calcium, and other mineral matter of several species of woodand bark will be studied in a tube furnace using SEM and ESCA (electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis)/AES (Auger electron spectroscopy) to investigate the chemical and physical behavior of the mineral matter during combustion and gasification. The formation of particulate matter nodules on the surface of wood and bark char will be studied in situ using fiber optics. It is proposed to develop a temperature-time map to better understand the effects of temperature and residence time relationship on the release of volatile minerals and particulate formation. Over one half of the wood harvested in the United States and over three quarters of the wood harvested in the world are used for fuel for residential and industrial heat, hot water, steam, and electricity. Mineral matter is a minor component of wood but during combustion, mineral matter corrodes and fouls furnaces and boilers, forms air-polluting particles in stack gases, and results in ash, which poses a disposal problem. Extensive research has been done on the behavior of the mineral matter in fossil fuels so that their effects on the combustion system and environment can be minimized. There is no information, however, to describe the behavior of the mineral matter in wood fuels during combustion. The basic information obtained in this study can lead to the design of more efficient and environmentally safer combustion systems.
