Laser micropyrolysis of coal macerals. Final report, November 1982-October 1986

Technical Report · Sun Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6557957

Vastola, F J

The chemical structure of coal macerals and the mechanism of their thermal decomposition was studied by pyrolyzing the macerals in-situ with the focused output of a 0.1 mi pulsed ruby laser. By pyrolyzing the samples within the ionization chamber of a time-of-flight mass spectrometer, a series of mass spectra can be obtained that characterize the species being emitted from the heated surface of the sample. Analysis of known polymeric materials has indicated that the technique is capable of detecting primary free-radical fragments of the pyrolysis process which represent structural groupings present in the original solid. The variation in spectra obtained on the cooling of the sample after the laser heating provides information on the bond strength distribution within the solid. The study of the vitrinite maceral of a series of coals has indicated that their structure is comprised of a relatively small number of primitive groups consisting mostly of one and two member aromatic and hydroaromatic rings connected by short aliphatic links which on pyrolysis mostly decompose by breakage of the weaker carbon alkyl-alkyl linking bonds.

• Research Organization: Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park (USA). Davey Lab.
• OSTI ID: 6557957
• Report Number(s): PB-87-177176/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
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