ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Total reflection X-ray fluorescence analysis of fly ash from Bulgarian coal-fired power plants

Albena K. Detcheva, Svilen E. Mitsiev, Paunka S. Vassileva, Juri H. Jordanov, Metody G. Karadjov, and Elisaveta Ivanova

Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. Bl. 11, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria

E-mail: albena@svr.igic.bas.bg

Abstract: The contents of Cl, Ca, K, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Ba and Pb in raw coal fly ash from five Bulgarian power plants were determined by total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF), using gallium as the internal standard. The samples were analysed as in slurry form in Triton^TM X-114. The experimental parameters, such as grain size, concentrations of fly ash slurry and excitation time were optimised. For validation of the method, the certified reference material BCR-176R fly ash was used. The precision of the results obtained is characterised by a relative standard deviation of approximately 10 %. The resulting data confirm the suitability of TXRF for the simultaneous determination of major, minor and trace elements in coal fly ash samples. Further advantages provided by TXRF are easy sample preparation (no sample dissolution) and the small sample amount required for analysis.

Keywords: coal fly ash – TXRF analysis – characterisation – major – minor and trace elements

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1515/chempap-2015-0071

Chemical Papers 69 (5) 650–654 (2015)