The Western Kentucky University Coal and Fuel Laboratory was established in 1980 to support various educational, research, and public service projects in materials chemistry.  The Lab is managed by Mr. Dong Li and staffed by undergraduate students and graduate students.  These young professionals routinely analyze various materials submitted by WKU professors, students, and cooperating laboratories and agencies.

       The Coal and Fuel Laboratory has compiled a very strong record as a productive and reliable analytical facility.  Each year more than a thousand samples are submitted to the Lab for analysis.  In addition to the samples submitted by WKU professors and students, requests for analytical assistance are received from other universities, cooperating laboratories, and other agencies throughout the U.S. and Canada.  

      The Coal and Fuel Laboratory is very active in the work of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Committee D05 – Coal and Coke.  This ASTM committee has the responsibility for developing the standard methods used in the U.S. for the analysis of coal and coke.  The Lab has contributed data to more than 14 task groups working on ASTM standard test methods, and was the "principal laboratory" in the development of four standard test methods, D5142, D5373, D6349, and D6722.  The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has also benefited from Coal and Fuel Lab activities.  The student professionals in the Lab have contributed data to two ISO round robins.

 

 

Coal and Fuel Laboratory