Characterization of coal pyrolysis liquids: Final report

Technical Report · Wed Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6504552

Hill, G R; Meuzelaar, H L.C.; Hoesterey, B L

In order to characterize coal-pyrolysis liquids, fresh tar samples were collected from a fixed-bed Wellman-Galusha gasifier. The tars were produced from a range of western US coals (hvBb and hvCb bituminous, subbituminous, and lignite). Extensive precautions were then taken in order to minimize oxidative and other regressive reactions. The tars were subjected to an extensive array of chromatographic, spectroscopic, and conventional techniques. Samples of the corresponding feed coals are also under characterization. After data reduction, the results were correlated and compared with conventional tar-characterization data. From the data, it was seen that tar yield increased with coal rank (from 6.1 wt % for the lignite to 17.4% for the hvBb bituminous coal). The nature of the tars was also a function of coal rank. The hvBb bituminous-coal tar had the highest hydrocarbon fraction, which was dominated by 2-ring aromatic and hydroaromatic compounds. The lignite tar was entirely dominated by hydroxyaromatics, making it highly reactive and susceptible to retroagressive reactions. Direct comparison of the low-voltage Py-MS (pyrolysis-mass spec) data of the feed coals with the low-voltage MS data of the corresponding coal tars showed a high degree of similarity. Thus, a predicative capability of coal-tar quality and quantity exists with these analytical techniques. 12 refs., 20 figs., 18 tabs.

• Research Organization: Utah Univ., Salt Lake City (USA); Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6504552
• Report Number(s): EPRI-AP-5165; ON: TI87920385
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010404 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Gasification
010409* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Pyrolysis & Carbonization-- (1987-)
BITUMINOUS COAL
BLACK COAL
BROWN COAL
CARBON 13
CARBON ISOTOPES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
COAL
COAL GASIFICATION
COAL RANK
COAL TAR
CONDENSATES
CORRELATIONS
DATA ANALYSIS
DECOMPOSITION
DISTILLATION
ENERGY SOURCES
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GASIFICATION
GRAVIMETRIC ANALYSIS
HYDROGEN 1
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
INFRARED SPECTRA
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
LIGNITE
LIQUID COLUMN CHROMATOGRAPHY
MAGNETIC RESONANCE
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
MATERIALS
NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PYROLYSIS
PYROLYSIS PRODUCTS
PYROLYTIC OILS
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RESONANCE
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPECTRA
SPECTROSCOPY
STABLE ISOTOPES
STRUCTURAL CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
SUBBITUMINOUS COAL
SYNTHETIC FUELS
TAR
THERMAL ANALYSIS
THERMAL GRAVIMETRIC ANALYSIS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WELLMAN-GALUSHA PROCESS
YIELDS