Characterization of coal macerals by high-resolution supercritical fluid chromatography. Annual report, May 1986-April 1987

Technical Report · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:6000028

Lee, M L

The pyridine extracts of three new vitrinite-rich coals of different rank (Wyodak subbituminous, Illinois No. 6 high volatile bituminous, and Upper Freeport medium volatile bituminous) were fractionated into chemical classes and analyzed by capillary-column gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. While there exist basic structural similarities among all of the coal extracts, there are structural changes that can be correlated primarily with rank. Di- and triterpenoid compounds are present in significant concentration in the low rank coals, while they are nearly absent in the high-rank coals. In contrast, aromaticity increases in the high-rank coals, with a trend to larger condensed-ring systems. Reduction methods are being applied to depolymerize the coal matrix in order to determine how representative coal extracts are of the macromolecular coal structure. Supercritical fluid chromatographic techniques are being developed for the application to high-molecular-mass coal fragments that are not amenable to analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

• Research Organization: Brigham Young Univ., Provo, UT (USA). Dept. of Chemistry
• OSTI ID: 6000028
• Report Number(s): PB-87-218871/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010600* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Properties & Composition
AROMATICS
AZINES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
COAL
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HYDROCARBONS
MACERALS
MATERIALS
MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
PYRIDINE
PYRIDINES
SEPARATION PROCESSES