Low temperature chemical fragmentation of coal

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5291898· OSTI ID:5291898

Deno, N. C.; Curry, K.; Jones, A. D.; Minard, R.; Potter, T.; Rakitsky, W.; Wagner, K.; Yevak, R. J.

Trifluoroperoxyacetic acid chemically fragments coals at 25 to 80/sup 0/. The reagent is so selective for oxidizing aromatic rings and is so inert towards benzylic hydrogen that isopropylbenzene, tetralin, indan, and dihydrophenanthrene have their benzene ring(s) totally destroyed without any evidence of oxidation at the benzylic hydrogen. The fragments contain more and different structural information relative to conventional oxidations with Mn VII, Cr VI, HNO/sub 3/, and O/sub 2/. These latter selectively oxidize benzylic hydrogen. Products from 37 selected coals show that 9,10-dihydroanthracene and 9,10-dihydrophenanthrene units are prominent features in most bituminous coals in accord with Given's structure of coal. Their frequency accounts for the fact that no continuous fused ring structure or graphite structure exists. The only simple alkyl substituent is methyl. Liquefaction (solvent refining) sharply increases the amount of arylmethyl and aromatic structure and causes the appearance of unsubstituted phenyl groups. Nitric acid degradations have been reinvestigated and are developed into a premier method for analyzing the amounts and lengths of linear alkane chains in coals. Generally the amounts of such chains represents 0 to 2% of the carbon in coal, but in one Utah coal they account for about 42% of the carbons.

• Research Organization: Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AS01-78ET13381
• OSTI ID: 5291898
• Report Number(s): DOE/ET/13381-T1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
COAL
DECOMPOSITION
STRUCTURAL CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
COAL LIQUEFACTION
CHEMISTRY
CHEMICAL BONDS
CLEAVAGE
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
TABLES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DATA
DATA FORMS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
INFORMATION
LIQUEFACTION
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NUMERICAL DATA
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010405* - Coal
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010600 - Coal
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