Laser micropyrolysis of coal macerals. Annual report, November 1983-October 1984

Technical Report · Sat Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:5769844

Vastola, F J; McConnell, A

The mass spectra of the pyrolysis products of coal macerals have been obtained by heating the macerals, in monolithic coal sections situated within the ionization chamber of a time-of-flight mass spectrometer, with focused laser radiation. The analysis of the pyrolysis spectra of polymers taken under the same conditions indicates that laser heating produces primary free-radical fragments of the original structure. Comparison of the polymer spectra with spectra obtained from the vitrinite maceral of several coals indicate that vitrinite is mostly composed of a limited number of one and two ring methyl and hydroxy substituted aromatic structures. A study has been made of the affect of low temperature oxidation on the structure of coal. Oxidation tends to make the coal more thermally stable. With increasing oxidation the pyrolysis temperature increases and the yield of higher molecular weight fragments decreases.

• Research Organization: Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5769844
• Report Number(s): PB-85-174936/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010406 -- Coal & Coal Products-- Pyrolysis & Cracking-- (-1987)
010600* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Properties & Composition
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COAL
COAL GASIFICATION
DECOMPOSITION
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GASIFICATION
MACERALS
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
MATERIALS
MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
OXIDATION
PYROLYSIS
SPECTROSCOPY
STABILITY
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES