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Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Atom Probe Tomography Analysis of Exsolved Mineral Phases
Published on: October 25, 2019
An introductory TEM study of Fe-nanominerals within coal fly ash
L F O Silva1, T Moreno, X Querol
1Catarinense Institut of Environmental Research and Human Development-GPADHC, Capivari de Baixo, Santa Catarina, Brazil. felipeqma@yahoo.com.br
Abstract:
The investigation presented here was conducted during a wider experiment on the technical feasibility and environmental impacts of tire combustion in a Brazilian coal-fired power station. Nanometric-sized crystalline phases in fly ash were characterised using energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) images. The nanoparticles, which register abundance peaks at 10 nm and 100 nm, include iron-rich oxide (e.g. hematite), Fe-sulphate (e.g., yavapaiite: KFe(SO4)2), and Fe-aluminumsilicate glass. Individual metalliferous nanoparticles have a heterogeneous microstructure in which elements such as iron, aluminum and silicon are not uniformly distributed. HR-TEM offers a powerful analytical technique in the study of fly ash nanoparticles, providing a better understanding of the detailed chemistry of this potentially strongly bioreactive component of atmospheric particulate matter.
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