Studies on the quality of bituminous coal are mainly focused on physico-chemical analysis, examining the ash content, sulphur content, volatile matter content, moisture content, and the Net Calorific Value of coal. Until now, the above mentioned parameters form the basis of the Polish Standard PN-82/87002, on the basis of which individual types of bituminous coal are determined. In addition, an elemental analysis, providing information about the content of primary elements in the organic matter of solids, i.e. coal, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulphur, is carried out for the selected samples. This issue has been studied by many authors, which undoubtedly provide invaluable knowledge due to the huge amount of data, but, as the authors themselves indicate, the knowledge of the petrography of coal, coking properties (Probierz et al. 2012) and finally the coke obtained from individual coal types (based on tests carried out using the Karbotest installation or the so-called „box tests” performed in the coke oven battery) is still very limited. The article discusses the impact of petrographic composition on the quality of metallurgical coke. The analysis was performed using samples of coking coal from the following mines: Pniówek, Zofiówka, Borynia, and Krupiński. The mentioned coal types are used to produce coke mixtures used for the production of coke in the Przyjaźń and Radlin coking plants. Based on the rank of coal and physicochemical parameters, the mentioned coal types were classified according to the Polish classification and the UN/ECE International Classification of In-Seam Coals (UN/ECE 1995). The prediction of thermomechanical properties of coke (CSR and CRI) performed according to the original CCP method were compared with the results obtained using the classical method of Nippon Steel Corporation.

Spalanie odpadów komunalnych w domowych piecach to problem, z którym boryka się wiele polskich samorządów. Zarządzanie procesami zwalczania i zapobiegania tym zjawiskom jest niezwykle trudne, ponieważ przepisy prawne oraz wymagania jednostek samorządu terytorialnego są niejednoznaczne. Kolejnym istotnym problemem jest stosowanie różnego rodzaju dodatków do paliw stałych. Często dodatki te, pomimo wysokich walorów energetycznych, nie powinny zostać poddane procesowi spalania przez indywidualnych użytkowników z powodu warunków technicznych procesu spalania w indywidualnych urządzeniach grzewczych. Z punktu widzenia użytkownika przy obowiązujących uwarunkowaniach prawnych nie ma możliwość zweryfikowania składu paliwa na etapie zakupu. Podjęta w artykule tematyka wskazuje na przyczyny zjawiska i podkreśla potrzeby wdrożenia modelu identyfikacji. W pracy szczegółowo omówiono diagnozę aktualnej sytuacji w zakresie interesariuszy przedsięwzięcia z uwzględnieniem ich potrzeb, oczekiwań przy uwzględnieniu obowiązujących przepisów prawnych. W artykule wskazano możliwości w zakresie potencjalnych technik identyfikacji domieszek w materiałach opałowych, co pozwoli uzyskać skuteczne narzędzie jednoznacznie określające skład i czystość materiału opałowego oraz co istotniejsze produkty ich spalania. Ponadto przeanalizowano techniki umożliwiające weryfikację spalania i/lub współspalania odpadów komunalnych przez indywidualne urządzenia grzewcze, podkreślając wybrane modele koncepcji. W pracy wskazano na istotny element wdrożenia, którym jest ocena skuteczności. Zakłada się, iż z punktu widzenia założonego celu i przeprowadzonej analizy otoczenia wdrożenia zarówno po stronie interesariuszy, jak i wymagań prawnych, zaproponowany model koncepcji będzie skutecznym elementem poprawy jakości powietrza w zakresie eliminacji procederu nielegalnego spalania, termicznego przekształcania odpadów komunalnych przez użytkowników palenisk domowych oraz wskazania, czy paliwo stałe stosowane do spalania nie stanowi mieszaniny paliwa legalnego z dodatkami nieznanego pochodzenia.

Petrographic and physico-chemical analyses of ashes are carried out on a large scale and presented in numerous scientific papers. The mentioned ashes are obtained from filters and electrostatic precipitators mounted in large industrial installations. The large-scale analysis of the ashes obtained directly from grate furnaces or blast furnaces mounted in low-power boilers started with combating smog and low-stack emissions. The collection of ash samples from household furnaces usually involves the analysis of the combustion of waste in low-power boilers. This is justified in the case of old type boilers, which were designed to use virtually any fuel. Currently, new types of boilers, designed to burn dedicated fuels, are offered on the market. The aim is to use only renewable fuels (biomass) or fossil fuels with high quality parameters, which are more environment-friendly, e.g. eco-pea coal, lignite briquettes, or peat briquettes. The authors of the study focused on examining the ash obtained from boilers for burning wood pellets by performing microscopic analysis of residues after biomass combustion. The above mentioned analysis provides a comprehensive information on the efficiency of the combustion process, the content of contaminants remaining in the ash, and the suitability of ash for other applications. The entire process, from the moment of collecting the samples to the execution of the analysis takes up to 12 hours, which ensures a quick decision on furnace adjustment or fuel change. The ash components were determined based on the results obtained by the Fly-Ash Working Group of the International Committee for Coal and Organic Petrology (ICCP). The mentioned classification has been supplemented with new key elements occurring in ashes resulting from the combustion of wood pellets in household boilers. This allowed determining the percentage content of characteristic components in the tested material, which can be used as a specific benchmark when issuing opinions on the quality and efficiency of the boiler and the combusted pellets.

Wood pellets are classified as a solid biomass type. They are one of the most popular bio-heating fuels used in Europe, especially in the small heating sector, where pellets are burned in low-power domestic boilers. The pellets and automatic pellet-fired heating devices gained popularity due to the increasing air pollution (smog) problem and the low emission limiting campaigns associated with it. Wood pellets are formed as a result of small forestry particles mechanical compression (mainly conifers originated) and they are listed among renewable energy sources. The purpose of the presented studies was to compare the quality of wood pellets used for pellet-fired boilers and to identify, qualitatively and quantitatively, impurities marked in the samples obtained from the domestic market. The application of petrographic analyses, applied so far in relation to fossil fuels, is a presented work innovation for wood pellets. The microscopic analyses were performed on both certified (ENplus/DINplus) and uncertified wood pellets available on the market. Unfortunately, the analysis revealed that the quality requirements were not met, because of the unacceptable contamination presence. The unacceptable organic inclusions in the analyzed samples are fossil coals and their derivatives, coke, and polymeric materials of natural origin. Unacceptable inorganic inclusions determined in the analyzed samples were: glass, slag, rust, pieces of metal, stone powder, plastic, and polymeric materials of inorganic origin.

The energy obtained from biomass in the global balance of energy carriers is the largest source among all RES. It should be borne in mind that the share of biomass as an energy carrier in the total balance is as much as 14%. The basic sources of renewable energy used in Poland are the wind power industry and biomass. Organic chemical compounds are the source of chemical energy for biomass. The biomass can be used in a solid form (wood, straw) or after being converted to liquid (alcohol, bio-oil) or gas (biogas) form.

Pellets, meaning, the type of fuel of natural origin created from biomass compressed under high pressure without the participation of any chemical adhesive substances are recognized as the most common and available grades of biomass. Wood pellets manufactured from sawdust, shaving, or woodchips are the most popular type of pellets on the market. Fuel created in the form of granules is very dense and can be manufactured with low humidity content, which translates into an exceptionally high burn efficiency.

The authors of this article burned agro pellets from Miscanthus giganteus without additives and with solid catalyst and conducted a series of tests that determine the impact of boiler settings (blast power, time of feeding, chimney draft) on the process of burning fuel in real conditions. A solid catalyst was used to improve combustion conditions in one of the fuels. The catalyst burns carbon monoxide and reduces nitrogen oxides. The results in the form of observation of selected parameters are summarized in the table.

Wood pellets, commonly referred to as biomass fuel, are increasingly used in heating and district heating in the European Union countries, including Poland. Their use in class 5 and/or Ecodesign boilers enables an individual consumer to use energy from renewable sources, reduce the environmental burden by reducing the emission of harmful compounds, and provides a sense of comfort by automating the boiler system. The article presents the current situation in the global wood pellet market, describes the basic quality standards applicable to this fuel during production, and indicates the difficulties in the implementation of programs co-financing the replacement of obsolete coal-fired boilers with automatic class 5 biomass-fired boilers. The research presented in this article is focused on the presence of contaminants in the DIN Plus, EN Plus, and A1 pellets, as well as in non-certified pellets. The analysis has shown that the use of wood pellets containing prohibited substances negatively affects boiler operation and contributes to the formation of slag and the emission of harmful compounds, making the discussed fuel non-ecological.

Determining the level of solid pollution in beach sands located near artificial inland water bodies in order to maintain high safety standards is a difficult and expensive task. The tests aimed at determining beach pollution caused by solid wastes through analysis of toxic and chemical concentrations, are time-consuming and usually require several days before the results are available. In addition, the maintenance of the beach area involving beach raking or grooming, and the seasonal replenishment of sand makes it difficult to realistically determine the chemical or bacterial contamination of the tested material. Solid pollutants, such as glass, caps, cans, thick foil, metal, and plastic fragments, pose a greater health risk to beachgoers. The above-mentioned pollutants, especially small ones, are hardly visible on the surface or they are buried at shallow depths. Beach garbage poses a serious threat that can lead to infections from cuts and scratches. These injuries can become infected, further jeopardizing the health and lives of beachgoers due to risks like tetanus, staphylococcus, etc. The authors presented a new petrographic method aimed at assessing the quality of sand by examining the content of solid pollutants. The obtained results allowed us to conclude that the mentioned procedure can be used for a quick quantitative estimation of the content of potentially dangerous and undesirable pollutants in beach sands. Consequently, the method implemented to determent the amount of solid pollutants in beach sands has proven to be a valuable tool for recreational facility administrators, helping them in taking necessary measures to ensure the safety of beach users. Petrographic analysis of beach sands revealed the presence of pollutants of plant origin (0.4–1.8%), plastic (0.1–0.4%), paper (0.1–0.6%), charcoal (0.1–0.5%), glass (0.1–0.4%), metals (0.1–0.4%), rust (0.1–0.3%), ash and slag (0.1–0.3%), and fossil coals (0.1–0.2%).