Laser micropyrolysis of coal macerals. Final report Oct 79-Mar 83

Technical Report · Tue Apr 26 04:00:00 EDT 1983

OSTI ID:5633352

Vastola, F J; McGahan, L J

A technique has been developed which is capable of analyzing individual coal macerals in situ in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer via laser pyrolysis. A high degree of reproducibility and sensitivity is achieved by spectral averaging. The pyrolysis spectra from 35 different coals were found to be dependent upon coal rank, province, and region. Within the Rocky Mountain province, the high rank coal spectra were dominated by alkyl naphthalenes to various degrees of substitution, whereas the low rank coal spectra were dominated by alkyl benzenes. The maceral distribution in some coals was found to cause an anomalous ASTM rank classification. Computerized data reduction and analytical techniques allowed for quantitative comparisons to be made between coals. Evolution of C4 aliphatic hydrocarbons, C2 and C3 alkyl benzenes, and C2 and C3 alkyl naphthalenes were found to be the most sensitive to structural changes in the coals. Correlations between the pyrolysis spectra and conventional parameters of coal characterization such as reflectance, calorific value, and oxygen percentage were observed.

• Research Organization: Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park (USA). Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering
• OSTI ID: 5633352
• Report Number(s): PB-83-244020
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010406* -- Coal & Coal Products-- Pyrolysis & Cracking-- (-1987)
AROMATICS
BENZENE
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CLASSIFICATION
COAL
COAL RANK
CONDENSED AROMATICS
DECOMPOSITION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GASIFICATION
HYDROCARBONS
LASER RADIATION
MACERALS
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
MATERIALS
NAPHTHALENE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PYROLYSIS
RADIATIONS
SPECTROSCOPY
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES