The Applied Petrology Laboratory is part of the Environmental and Coal Technologies Group. Research is conducted on the petrographic and geochemical characterization of Kentucky coals; the interaction of coal petrology with grinding and beneficiation properties; the petrology of carbons; and the petrology of coal-combustion by-products, particularly fly ash. Research interactions outside of the CAER are maintained with coal producers and coal-burning utilities; faculty at several universities, including the University of Kentucky, Morehead State University, the Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski; and state and national surveys, including the Kentucky Geological Survey, the Indiana Geological Survey and the United States Geological Survey.
The petrology laboratory at the CAER was established by Gilbert Smith, one of the original associate directors, in 1977. Smith was trained in coal petrology by Aureal Cross, his advisor at West Virginia University, and by Gilbert Cady in the years Smith worked for the Ohio Geological Survey.
Jim Hower arrived from Penn State in 1978 and joined Garry Wild in starting the coal petrographic research program at the center. Through the 1980's research focused on the characterization of Kentucky coals, with emphasis on the major economic coals; on the petrographic interactions with coal beneficiation; and on the characterization of coal liquefaction residues. Starting in the early 1990's, the emphasis shifted towards the characterization of coal combustion by-products (CCBs) from Kentucky power plants.
Based on the power plant survey, we determined major trends in the quality and production of CCB's. Further research has been conducted on the impact of low-NOx combustion on the petrography of fly ash and on the factors influencing the distribution of trace elements, with a current emphasis on mercury in fly ash and flue-gas desulfurization materials.
In addition to research, the petrology laboratory also provides analytical services. Typical services include:
Collections housed at the CAER Petrology Laboratory include:
Contact: Jim Hower
Manager, Applied Petrology Laboratory
Center for Applied Energy Research
Dr. Hower's Professional Activites include:
Publications of Interest:
Coal Petrology from Scirus, a Service of Elsevier:
Gilbert Smith (at microscope) and Garry Wild (1978)
Jim Hower in a western Kentucky coal mine (1986).
Garry Wild (1990)
Coal sampling at an eastern Kentucky mine (1986)
Don Pollock sampling clean coal from conveyor belt (1988)
Don Pollock sampling coal at Eastern Kentucky surface mine (1986)
Student sampling fly ash from electrostatic precipitator
hopper (1995)