BRITISH STANDARD

Methods for

Analysis and testing of

coal and coke
Part 104: Proximate analysis
Section 104.2 Determination of
moisture content of the general analysis
sample of coke

BS 1016-104.2:
1991

BS 1016-104.2:1991

Committees responsible for this

British Standard
The preparation of this British Standard was entrusted by the Solid Mineral
Fuels Standards Policy Committee (SFC/-) to Technical Committee SFC/3,
upon which the following bodies were represented:
British Cement Association
British Coal Corporation
British Gas plc
British Steel Industry
Department of Trade and Industry (Standards and Quality Policy Unit,
Quality, Design and Education Division)
Electricity Supply Industry in United Kingdom
GAMBICA (BEAMA Ltd.)
Institute of British Foundrymen
Institute of Petroleum
Power Generation Contractors Association (BEAMA Ltd.)

This British Standard, having

been prepared under the
direction of the Solid Mineral
Fuels Standards Policy
Committee, was published under
the authority of the Standards
Board and comes into effect on
30 April 1991
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First published as BS 1016-4,
March 1942
Second edition May 1957
Third edition October 1965
Fourth edition October 1973
Fifth edition as BS 1016-104.2,
April 1991
The following BSI references
relate to the work on this
standard:
Committee reference SFC/3
Draft for comment 90/53515 DC
ISBN 0 580 19470 1

Amendments issued since publication

Amd. No.

Date

Comments

BS 1016-104.2:1991

Contents
Committees responsible
Foreword
0 Introduction
1 Scope
2 Definitions
3 Principle
4 Reagent
5 Apparatus
6 Preparation of test sample
7 Procedure
8 Expression of results
9 Precision
10 Test report
Publication(s) referred to

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Page
Inside front cover
ii
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
Inside back cover

BS 1016-104.2:1991

Foreword
This Section of BS 1016 has been prepared under the direction of the Solid
Mineral Fuels Standards Policy Committee. Part 104 is a revision of the 1973
editions of BS 1016-3 and BS 1016-4, which are superseded and withdrawn. This
Section replaces clause 4 in BS 1016-4:1973, from which the principal changes
are the omission of the direct gravimetric method (in 4.2) and the replacement of
drying in nitrogen (in 4.3) by heating in air and then cooling in nitrogen.
Part 104 is a further Part numbered under a scheme for rationalizing and
restructuring BS 1016. The new series, when complete, will begin with Part 100,
which will include a general introduction. The earlier series of Parts is as follows,
with the new Part numbers (which will be given to revisions when they are
published) in parentheses.
Part 1: Total moisture of coal (Part 101);
Part 2: Total moisture of coke (Part 102);
Part 5: Gross calorific value of coal and coke (Part 105);
Part 6: Ultimate analysis of coal (Part 106);
Part 7: Ultimate analysis of coke (Part 106);
Part 8: Chlorine in coal and coke (Part 106);
Part 9: Phosphorus in coal and coke (Part 106);
Part 10: Arsenic in coal and coke (Part 106);
Part 11: Forms of sulphur in coal (Part 106);
Part 12: Caking and swelling properties of coal (Part 107);
Part 13: Tests special to coke (Part 108);
Part 14: Analysis of coal ash and coke ash (Part 114);
Part 15: Fusibility of coal ash and coke ash (Part 113);
Part 16: Methods for reporting results (Part 100);
Part 17: Size analysis of coal (Part 109);
Part 18: Size analysis of coke (Part 110);
Part 20: Determination of Hardgrove grindability index of hard coal
(Part 112);
Part 21: Determination of moisture-holding capacity of hard coal (Part 103).
The following Parts in the new series have been published.
Part 104: Proximate analysis;
Part 111: Determination of abrasion index of coal.
Part 104 is divided into four Sections as follows.
Section 104.1: Determination of moisture content of the general analysis
sample of coal;
Section 104.2: Determination of moisture content of the general analysis
sample of coke;
Section 104.3; Determination of volatile matter content;
Section 104.4: Determination of ash.
This Section is related to ISO 687:1974, published by the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO). The principal difference is that in the
method described in ISO 687 the weighing dish is cooled in a desiccator instead
of in an atmosphere of nitrogen.

ii

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BS 1016-104.2:1991

There may be alternative methods for carrying out this determination which are
more rapid and/or less labour-intensive than the reference method described in
this Section of BS 1016. Work is in hand on the preparation of a standard for the
validation of such alternative methods. It is important to demonstrate that an
alternative method is free from bias when compared to this reference method, and
will give a level of repeatability which is the same as or better than that quoted
for the reference method (see clause 9).
WARNING NOTE. This British Standard does not necessarily detail all the
precautions necessary to comply with the requirements of the Health and Safety
at Work etc. Act 1974 or the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
Regulations 1988. Attention should be paid to any appropriate precautions and
the method should be operated only by trained personnel.
A British Standard does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a
contract. Users of British Standards are responsible for their correct application.
Compliance with a British Standard does not of itself confer immunity
from legal obligations.

Summary of pages
This document comprises a front cover, an inside front cover, pages i to iv,
pages 1 and 2, an inside back cover and a back cover.
This standard has been updated (see copyright date) and may have had
amendments incorporated. This will be indicated in the amendment table on the
inside front cover.
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iii

iv

blank

BS 1016-104.2:1991

0 Introduction
As coke is hygroscopic, its moisture content will
vary with change of humidity of the atmosphere.
Therefore, the moisture in the general analysis
sample has to be determined whenever portions are
weighed out for other analytical determinations
(for example, volatile matter content, calorific
value, cabon and hydrogen content) and when
results are required on a dry basis. If all the portions
taken for analysis are weighed out on the same day
and at about the same time, one test for moisture
content should suffice.

1 Scope
This Section of BS 1016 describes a reference
method for determining the moisture content of the
general analysis sample of coke.
NOTE The titles of the publications referred to in this standard
are listed on the inside back cover.

5.4 Cooling vessel, with provision for the nitrogen to

pass through it at about 15 volumes per hour.
NOTE The provision of a metal plate, preferably of aluminium,
inside the vessel will increase the rate of cooling.

6 Preparation of test sample

The coke used for the determination of moisture
content is the general analysis sample, ground to
pass a sieve of 212 m aperture (see BS 1017-2).
Expose the sample in a thin layer for the minimum
time required for the moisture content to reach
approximate equilibrium with the laboratory
atmosphere.
Immediately before weighing out the test portion
(see 7.1), mix the test sample for not less
than 1 min, preferably by mechanical means.

7 Procedure
7.1 Test portion

For the purposes of this Section of BS 1016, the

definitions given in BS 1017-2 apply, together with
the following.

Weigh, to the nearest 0.1 mg, a clean, dry, empty

weighing dish (5.3) with its cover. Add 1 g to 2 g of
the test sample to the dish in an even layer and
reweigh the dish, cover and test portion to the
nearest 0.1 mg.

moisture in the general analysis sample

7.2 Determination

moisture content of the general analysis sample of a

solid mineral fuel after it has attained approximate
equilibrium with the atmosphere in the laboratory
and which is removable under specified conditions

Transfer the dish containing the test portion

(see 7.1), without its cover, to the oven (5.2),
preheated to a temperature within the range 190 C
to 210 C (see note 1), and heat the dish at that
temperature for a minimum of 60 min (see notes 2
and 3). Remove the dish from the oven and replace
its cover. Transfer the dish to the cooling vessel (5.4)
through which the nitrogen (4.1) is passing at
about 15 volumes per hour, and weigh the dish, to
the nearest 0.1 mg, when cool.
For further periods each of at least 10 min, reheat
the dish without its cover at the same temperature
as before, then cool and reweigh it with its cover to
the nearest 0.1 mg, until any further change in
mass on successive weighings does not exceed 1 mg.

2 Definitions

3 Principle
A known mass of the coke is heated in air at
between 190 C and 210 C (see note 1 to 7.2) and
maintained at this temperature until constant in
mass. The moisture content is calculated from the
loss in mass of the coke.

4 Reagent
4.1 Nitrogen, dry and containing less than 10 L of
oxygen per litre.

5 Apparatus
5.1 Balance, capable of weighing to the
nearest 0.1 mg.
5.2 Air oven, capable of maintaining a temperature
within the range 190 C to 210 C (see note 1 to 7.2)
and in which the atmosphere changes from 3 times
to 8 times per hour.
5.3 Weighing dishes, shallow, of glass with
ground-on covers or of corrosion-resistant metal
with well-fitting covers, of such a size that the mass
of coke per unit area does not exceed 0.15 g/cm2
(see note 2 to 7.2).

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NOTE 1 The time taken for the determination can be

considerably shortened if drying is carried out at a temperature
of 320 C in an atmosphere of nitrogen, when heating for 1 h will
usually suffice.
NOTE 2 The mass per unit area of the coke layer may be
increased up to 0.25 g/cm2, provided that the heating time is
increased sufficiently (see note 3).
NOTE 3 Heating for 4 h is normally sufficient if the mass of
coke per unit area does not exceed 0.15 g/cm2, but if the mass per
unit area is 0.25 g/cm2, 6 h will probably be required.

BS 1016-104.2:1991

8 Expression of results

10 Test report

The moisture content of the coke, expressed as a

percentage by mass, is given by the formula:

The test report shall include the following:

a) the identification of the sample;
b) the reference to the method
used, i.e. BS 1016-104.2:1991;
c) the results expressed in accordance with
clause 8;
d) any unusual features noted during the
determination;
e) any operations not specified in this standard or
regarded as optional.

m 2 m3
---------------------- 100
m 2 m1
where
m1 is the mass of the empty dish plus
cover (in g);
m2 is the mass of the dish plus cover plus coke
before heating (in g);
m3 is the mass of the dish plus cover plus coke
after heating (in g).
Report the result to the nearest 0.1 % (m/m).
NOTE It is recommended that the result is calculated as the
mean of duplicate determinations.

9 Precision
9.1 Repeatability
The results of duplicate determinations, carried out
in the same laboratory by the same operator with
the same apparatus on representative portions
weighed out at the same time from the same test
sample, should not differ by more than 0.1 % (m/m).
9.2 Reproducibility
Since the humidity conditions in different
laboratories will vary, it is not practical to quote a
limiting value for reproducibility.

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BS 1016-104.2:1991

Publication(s) referred to
BS 1017, Sampling of coal and coke.
BS 1017-2, Methods for sampling of coke.
ISO 687, Coke Determination of moisture in the analysis sample1).

1)

Referred to in the foreword only.

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BS 1016-104.2:
1991

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