Investigations on the release of Na, K, S, and Cl species form a crucial element in designing control measures and developing hot-gas-cleaning strategies for coal gasification systems. A large body of useful data has already been delivered in this area, but the underlying reaction mechanisms are not yet sufficiently understood. To complement recently performed basic investigations with a flow tube furnace, a lab-scale drop tube reactor was used. The experiments were performed at 1300 degrees C in an atmosphere of He (carrier gas) and 5 vol % O-2. Two hard coals and two blends of these coals were gasified during the experiments. In situ hot gas analysis of inorganic trace elements was performed by molecular bean-A mass spectrometry.