Introduction The introduction of the Carbolite Coal Ash Fusibility test furnace has revolutionised coal sample testing where time and accuacy are both critical. Where previously an operator's time was dedicated to the continuous monitoring of a test with only 1 or 2 samples, the CAF furnace allows up to 12 samples to be tested at any one time. Continuous image recording allows laboratory technicians to carry out other tasks while the test is in progress. The latest addition to this product is the capture of test images via a computer. This new option gives both accurate and rapid analysis of tests. The computer is used to automatically generate a test report for the furance once the relevant fusion temperatures have been identified by quickly scrolling through the stored images. Coal Ash Fusibility Testing At high temperatures, the heat from burning coal is often sufficient to melt its own ash which when cooled solidifies into clinker. In industrial coal burning applications, clinkers can be extremely large and can cause both disposal problems and operation downtime. Coal ash fusibility testing is therefore required by users to determine the ash fusibility characteristics of the fuel. The published standards require that the ash fusion temperature furnace is measured and recorded at 4 points: the initial rounding of the cone tip, when the cone has softened, when melted to a hemisphere and finally when it flows into a puddle. |