The objective of this project was to establish the chemical forms and relative abundance of trace inorganic vapor species in coal during combustion and gasification. A joint experimental and calculational program to observe the vaporization of Illinois No. 6 bituminous and Wyodak subbituminous was performed. Experimental studies were performed by Knudsen cell mass spectroscopy on samples of each coal that were ashed at low temperature by an oxygen plasma. To simulate actual coal more closely, some samples were only partially ashed to retain more of the original organic components. Vapor species were identified and their abundances measured over the temperature range 300-1700 K. In the first year of the program, vaporization from the coal ash alone was studied. Dynamic partial pressures were measured against temperature and time. Vapor species of 32 major or trace elements were identified. During the second year of the program, mass spectrometry experiments addressed the effects of added gases (O/sub 2/, CO/sub 2/, and H/sub 2/O) on the identities and abundances of trace element vapor species. Coincident with experimental studies, trace element vaporization behavior was evaluated by Gibbs energy minimization calculations. A data base including both solution and pure condensed and gaseous components was compiled. The behavior of Wyodak coal at 1 atm total pressure was evaluated over the temperature range 300--1800 K and the oxygen partial pressure range from 10/sup /minus/1/ to 10/sup /minus/25/ atm. Results were used to evaluate the effects on trace element volatility of several proposed strategies for containment removal. 13 refs., 23 figs., 23 tabs.