Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Exploratory study of coal-conversion chemistry. Quarterly report No. 5, May 19, 1982-August 18, 1982

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6800666· OSTI ID:6800666

Initial runs of coal liquefaction products through the automatically switched, multicolumn, solvent-extraction/high-pressure liquid chromatography systems have been performed. This separation was followed by field ionization mass spectrometric analysis of the volatile portions of each of the separated fractions. The separation scheme is described, and results of one of the initial separations are summarized. The FIMS spectrum of one of the fractions (lower molecular weight nitrogen heterocycles) is presented and the types of information available from this less-than-ideal case (i.e., broad HPLC fraction) are discussed in the context of the objective of this subtask. We studied the thermolysis of bibenzyl in D/sub 2/O at 400/sup 0/C. The major products were toluene and stilbene. Minor products were benzene, ethylbenzene, styrene, diphenylmethane, and phenanthrene. The recovered bibenzyl and products contained significant quantities of deuterium. From the degree of deuterium incorporation, a statistical determination for a simple series of consecutive exchange reactions was derived. The reaction scheme involves an initial slow homolysis of the starting bibenzyl to yield benzyl radical, which, in turn, reacts with D/sub 2/O to form OD. OD then rapidly reacts with bibenzyl to yield bibenzyl radical, and the formed bibenzyl radical abstracts deuterium from the medium to form products. The chemistry suggested here demonstrates that water can act as an H-donor because it readily transfers hydrogen to organic free radicals. We further suggest that water can generate hydrogen atoms if CO is present.

Research Organization:
SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC22-81PC40785
OSTI ID:
6800666
Report Number(s):
DOE/PC/40785-5; ON: DE83002456
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English