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Reaction of coal with nitronium tetrafluoroborate

Conference · · Am. Chem. Soc., Div. Fuel Chem., Prepr.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6574583
An investigation was conducted to determine if oxygen-bearing functions and nitro groups are formed in reactions between nitronium tetrafluoroborate and coal. From the nitration studies, some inferences about coal structure can be drawn. Thus, reaction with nitronium salt introduces 3 to 7 nitro groups per 100 carbon atoms while HNO/sub 3//H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ mixtures permit addition of 8 to 10 nitro groups. If it is assumed that isomerizations of condensed polycyclic aliphatic structures to aromatic structures does not occur during nitration at 0/sup 0/C, the number of nitro groups per 100 carbon atoms may provide information about aromatic ring size. Some support for this deduction is afforded by data relating to reduction of coal with lithium in ethylene diamine. Reduction of aromatic compounds in such or similar systems yields dihydro- or tetrahydro-derivatives, and assuming benzene or naphthalene as the only aromatic structure in the unknown molecule, the hydrogen uptake by the sample can be calculated from the number of such ring per 100 carbon atoms of the samples. A comparison of the data with experimental results indicates that the abundance of naphthalene rings increases with rank. It is hardly expected that the reduction of single benzene ring would stop at the tetrahydro-stage. It is concluded that the smallest hydrocarbon skeletal structure in coal may be in units of C/sub 12/H/sub 9/ to C/sub 10/H/sub 5/, and that, depending on rank and geographical location, the nucleus of such unit is a benzene or naphthalene ring.
Research Organization:
Alberta Research Council, Edmonton
OSTI ID:
6574583
Report Number(s):
CONF-780902-P2
Conference Information:
Journal Name: Am. Chem. Soc., Div. Fuel Chem., Prepr.; (United States) Journal Volume: 23:4
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English