ASTM D6722-19

Standard Test Method for Total Mercury in Coal and Coal Combustion Residues by Direct Combustion Analysis

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 The emission of mercury during coal combustion can be an environmental concern.  
5.2 When representative test portions are analyzed according to this procedure, the total mercury is representative of mass fractions in the sample.
SCOPE
1.1 These test methods cover procedures to determine the total mercury content in a sample of coal or coal combustion residue.  
1.2 Units—The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses after SI units are provided for information only and are not considered standard.  
1.3 Warning—Mercury has been designated by EPA and many state agencies as a hazardous material that can cause central nervous system, kidney, and liver damage. Mercury, or its vapor, may be hazardous to health and corrosive to materials. Caution should be taken when handling mercury and mercury-containing products. See the applicable product Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for details and EPA’s website (http://www.epa.gov/mercury/faq.htm) for additional information. Users should be aware that selling mercury or mercury-containing products, or both, in your state may be prohibited by state law.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 30-Nov-2019
• ICS: 71.060.10 - Chemical elements
• Technical Committee: D05 - Coal and Coke
• Drafting Committee: D05.29 - Major Elements in Ash and Trace Elements of Coal

Relations

• Refers: ASTM D3180-15 - Standard Practice for Calculating Coal and Coke Analyses from As-Determined to Different Bases
• Effective Date: 01-Jan-2015
• Refers: ASTM D121-15 - Standard Terminology of Coal and Coke
• Effective Date: 01-Sep-2015
• Refers: ASTM D7448-16 - Standard Practice for Establishing the Competence of Laboratories Using ASTM Procedures in the Sampling and Analysis of Coal and Coke
• Effective Date: 01-Mar-2016

Standards Content (Sample)

This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
Designation: D6722 − 19
Standard Test Method for
Total Mercury in Coal and Coal Combustion Residues by
1
Direct Combustion Analysis
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D6722; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope D2013/D2013M Practice for Preparing Coal Samples for
Analysis
1.1 These test methods cover procedures to determine the
D3173 Test Method for Moisture in the Analysis Sample of
total mercury content in a sample of coal or coal combustion
Coal and Coke
residue.
D3180 Practice for Calculating Coal and Coke Analyses
1.2 Units—The values stated in SI units are to be regarded
from As-Determined to Different Bases
as standard. The values given in parentheses after SI units are
D7448 Practice for Establishing the Competence of Labora-
provided for information only and are not considered standard.
tories Using ASTM Procedures in the Sampling and
1.3 Warning—Mercury has been designated by EPA and
Analysis of Coal and Coke
many state agencies as a hazardous material that can cause
D7582 Test Methods for Proximate Analysis of Coal and
central nervous system, kidney, and liver damage. Mercury, or
Coke by Macro Thermogravimetric Analysis
its vapor, may be hazardous to health and corrosive to
E691 Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to
materials.Cautionshouldbetakenwhenhandlingmercuryand
Determine the Precision of a Test Method
mercury-containing products. See the applicable product Ma-
terial Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for details and EPA’s website
3. Terminology
(http://www.epa.gov/mercury/faq.htm) for additional informa-
3.1 For definitions of terms used in this standard, refer to
tion. Users should be aware that selling mercury or mercury-
Terminology D121.
containingproducts,orboth,inyourstatemaybeprohibitedby
state law.
4. Summary of Test Method
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the
4.1 Controlled heating of the analysis sample in oxygen is
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
usedtoliberatemercury.Thesampleisheatedtodrynessinthe
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
instrument and then thermally and chemically decomposed.
priate safety, health, and environmental practices and deter-
The decomposition products are carried by flowing oxygen to
mine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
the catalytic section of the furnace, where oxidation is com-
1.5 This international standard was developed in accor-
pleted and halogens as well as nitrogen and sulfur oxides are
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
trapped. The remaining decomposition products are carried to
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the
a gold amalgamator that selectively traps mercury. After the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
system is flushed with oxygen to remove any remaining
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical
decomposition products, the amalgamator is rapidly heated,
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
releasing mercury vapor. Flowing oxygen carries the mercury
2. Referenced Documents
vapor through absorbance cells positioned in the light path of
2
2.1 ASTM Standards:
a single wavelength atomic absorption spectrophotometer.
D121 Terminology of Coal and Coke
Absorbance peak height or peak area, as a function of mercury
concentration, is measured at 253.7 nm.
1
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D05 on Coal
4.2 Mercury and mercury salts can be volatized at low
and Coke and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D05.29 on Major
Elements in Ash and Trace Elements of Coal. temperatures. Precautions against inadvertent mercury loss
Current edition approved Dec. 1, 2019. Published January 2020. Originally
should be taken when using this method.
approved in 2001. Last previous edition approved in 2011 as D6722 – 11 DOI:
10.1520/D6722-19.
2
5. Significance and Use
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
contact ASTM Customer Service at [e-mail]. For Annual Book of ASTM
5.1 The emission of mercury during coal combustion can be
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
the ASTM website. an environmental concern.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
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This document is not an ASTM standard and is intended only to provide the user of an ASTM standard an indication of what changes have been made to the previous version. Because
it may not be technically possible to adequately depict all changes accurately, ASTM recommends that users consult prior editions as appropriate. In all cases only the current version
of the standard as published by ASTM is to be considered the official document.
Designation: D6722 − 11 D6722 − 19
Standard Test Method for
Total Mercury in Coal and Coal Combustion Residues by
1
Direct Combustion Analysis
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D6722; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope
1.1 These test methods cover procedures to determine the total mercury content in a sample of coal or coal combustion residue.
1.2 Units—The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this The
values given in parentheses after SI units are provided for information only and are not considered standard.
1.3 Warning—Mercury has been designated by EPA and many state agencies as a hazardous material that can cause central
nervous system, kidney, and liver damage. Mercury, or its vapor, may be hazardous to health and corrosive to materials. Caution
should be taken when handling mercury and mercury-containing products. See the applicable product Material Safety Data Sheet
(MSDS) for details and EPA’s website (http://www.epa.gov/mercury/faq.htm) for additional information. Users should be aware
that selling mercury or mercury-containing products, or both, in your state may be prohibited by state law.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility
of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety safety, health, and healthenvironmental practices and determine the
applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization
established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued
by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
2. Referenced Documents
2
2.1 ASTM Standards:
D121 Terminology of Coal and Coke
D2013/D2013M Practice for Preparing Coal Samples for Analysis
D3173 Test Method for Moisture in the Analysis Sample of Coal and Coke
D3180 Practice for Calculating Coal and Coke Analyses from As-Determined to Different Bases
D4621D7448 Guide for Quality Management in an Organization That Samples or Tests Practice for Establishing the
Competence of Laboratories Using ASTM Procedures in the Sampling and Analysis of Coal and Coke (Withdrawn 2010)
D7582 Test Methods for Proximate Analysis of Coal and Coke by Macro Thermogravimetric Analysis
IEEE/ASTM E691SI 10 Standard for Use of the International System of Units (SI): The Modern Metric SystemPractice for
Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to Determine the Precision of a Test Method
3. Terminology
3.1 For definitions of terms used in this standard, refer to Terminology D121.
4. Summary of Test Method
4.1 Controlled heating of the analysis sample in oxygen is used to liberate mercury. The sample is heated to dryness in the
instrument and then thermally and chemically decomposed. The decomposition products are carried by flowing oxygen to the
catalytic section of the furnace, where oxidation is completed and halogens as well as nitrogen and sulfur oxides are trapped. The
remaining decomposition products are carried to a gold amalgamator that selectively traps mercury. After the system is flushed with
1
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D05 on Coal and Coke and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D05.29 on Major Elements in
Ash and Trace Elements of Coal.
Current edition approved June 1, 2011Dec. 1, 2019. Published June 2011January 2020. Originally approved in 2001. Last previous edition approved in 20062011 as
D6722–01(2006).D6722 – 11 DOI: 10.1520/D6722-11.10.1520/D6722-19.
2
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or contact ASTM Customer Service at [e-mail]. For Annual Book of ASTM Standards
volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
1

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D6722 − 19
oxygen to remove any remaining decomposition products, the amalgamator is rapidly heated, releasing mercury vapor. Flowing
oxygen carries the me
...