Apr 01, 2006

ASTM International Committee D05 on Coal and Coke is currently seeking participation in the development of a proposed new standard, WK10700, Test Method for Total Moisture in Coal Reduced to 2.36 mm (No. 8 Sieve) Topsize Through Determination of Air-Drying Loss by Microwave Oven. The proposed new standard is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee D05.21 on Methods of Analysis.

While air-drying is an important step in the proximate analysis of coal, it is also very time consuming, often requiring more than 12 hours to be completed. Coal buyers who need to know the proximate analysis data in a more timely fashion than many conventional methods allow will benefit from the use of microwave ovens as a quicker means of drying coal.

Microwave methodology has been in use in the coal processing labs of the Powder River Basin in Wyoming since the late 1980s. The gradual refinement of microwave drying techniques has resulted in the development of WK10700, which is currently on ballot.

Once WK0700 has been approved, the most likely users will be quality control laboratories at coal preparation and processing plants. "Because of the rapid turnaround time of results, virtually all producer, consumer and general interest coal analysis labs will benefit from this proposed new method," says David Byer, Peabody Energy, and D05.21 subcommittee member.

The subcommittee is particularly seeking coal analysis laboratories that would be willing to use the proposed new method as well as the current conventional ASTM methods to participate in a round robin study.

For further technical information, contact David Byer, Peabody Energy, St. Louis, Mo. (phone: 314/342-7604; dbyer@peabodyenergy.com). Committee D05 will meet May 14-17, at the May Committee Week in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. For membership or meeting details, contact Scott Orthey (phone: 610/832-9730; sorthey@astm.org).

Release #7381