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Journal of Wood Science

Official Journal of the Japan Wood Research Society

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Multielement analysis using PIXE for beneficial use of ashes from a biomass power plant

Journal of Wood Science volume 54, pages 162–168 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Elemental analysis of wood fuels and ashes from a biomass power plant was carried out using particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) to confirm that the ashes can be utilized safely. The power plant produced four types of ash: one cinder and three fly ashes. Ignition loss tests revealed that the cinder included little unburned carbon, while the unburned carbon concentrations in the fly ashes were considerably higher. From PIXE analysis, more than 20 elements were found in all the ashes and it was shown that aluminum, silicon, calcium, potassium, and iron were the major elements in the ashes. In the fly ash collected in a bag filter, sodium, sulfur, and chlorine were also classified as major elements. Although chromium, arsenic, and lead were detected in all the ashes, leaching tests indicated that there were no potential problems associated with landfill treatment of the ashes. It was assumed that temporal fluctuation in the concentrations of major elements in the ashes was not significant. Nine kinds of waste wood fuels were analyzed by PIXE and 24 elements were determined. Lead was detected in all the woody fuels, but arsenic was not detected.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Wood Technology, Akita Prefectural University, 11-1 Kaieisaka, Noshiro, 016-0876, Japan

    Shigeru Yamauchi & Masaaki Kuwahara

  2. Department of Environmental Science, Akita Prefectural Research Center for Public Health and Environment, Akita, 010-8975, Japan

    Katsumi Saitoh & Yoshihisa Wada

  3. Cyclotron Research Center, Iwate Medical University, Takizawa, 020-0173, Japan

    Koichiro Sera

Authors
  1. Shigeru Yamauchi
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  2. Katsumi Saitoh
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  3. Koichiro Sera
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  4. Yoshihisa Wada
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  5. Masaaki Kuwahara
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Correspondence to Shigeru Yamauchi.

Additional information

Part of this report was presented at the 57th Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Hiroshima, August 2007.

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Yamauchi, S., Saitoh, K., Sera, K. et al. Multielement analysis using PIXE for beneficial use of ashes from a biomass power plant. J Wood Sci 54, 162–168 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10086-007-0925-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10086-007-0925-5

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