Fly ash derived from coal combustion contains predominantly spherical particles which consist of an insoluble aluminosilicate glass containing several mineral impurities. An outer layer, 50 to 300 A thick, is rich in many potentially toxic trace elements in the form of simple and complex sulfates. This layer, which is soluble in water, contains essentially all of the particulate sulfur present in fly ash in the form of sulfate. The actual mechanism(s) of formation of particulate sulfate salts are ill-defined but probably involve adsorption of condensation of gaseous sulfur species onto fly ash surfaces within the power plant stack system.

Electric power generation by conventional Rankine cycle heat engines with heat supplied by line-focus solar collectors was investigated. The objectives of the study were: (1) determine which of four types of line-focus solar collectors coupled with turbine-generators of conventional design has the potential to produce low-cost electric power with thermal energy in 100 to 300/sup 0/C range; (2) develop performance and cost relationships for organic Rankine cycle engines for power generation capacities from 3 MW/sub e/ to 300 MW/sub e/; (3) develop conceptual storage units for organic fluid systems. Evaluation procedures and study results and conclusion are presented and discussed in detail. (WHK)

This report summarizes the work carried out at the Nuclear Physics Laboratory of the University of Colorado during the period November 1, 1977 to November 1, 1978, under Contract EY-76-C-02-0535.A002 between the University of Colorado and the United States Department of Energy. The research activities of the Laboratory spanned a broad range of interests over the past year. Numerous topics in charged-particle spectroscopy and reaction studies, neutron time-of-flight measurements, and gamma-ray investigations performed at the cyclotron laboratory are covered in this report. In addition, several items in intermediate energy nuclear physics as studied at Los Alamos and Indiana University by members of the Laboratory are reported. The efforts in nuclear theory include studies in nuclear reaction mechanisms and pion scattering as related to the experimental program. Information is also included on apparatus and facility development, cyclotron operation, outside users, publications, and reports. Separate abstracts were written for thirty items in this report having significant amounts of data. (RWR)