A total of five types of anthracite refuse material with widely different characteristics have been successfully burned in the 18-inch diameter atmospheric pressure fluidized-bed combustor at the Morgantown Energy Research Center of the Energy Research and Development Administration. Combustion characteristics of these anthracite refuse materials as well as engineering data were investigated for a wide range of operation conditions. Values of carbon combustion efficiency, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, heat transfer and heat release rates together with the analysis of ash content are presented. Results of this systematic study of the fluidized-bed combustion of anthracite refuse material indicate that a substantial amount of heating value contained in this rejected material can be recovered. This application of anthracite refuse, therefore, represents a potential source of energy for a region of the country which would benefit from such a new source to replace oil use which has increased with the decrease in anthracite coal mining.