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Title: Characterization of coal molecular structure using high resolution chromatographic techniques

Miscellaneous ·
OSTI ID:7042724

Capillary gas chromatography was applied to study the structural features of coals of different rank. Coal samples were first extracted with pyridine, and the coal extracts were fractionated based on chemical class and the number of aromatic rings. A number of compounds were identified for the first time. Structural differences as a function of coal rank were observed for the low-molecular-weight aliphatic, neutral polycyclic aromatic, sulfur-containing polycyclic aromatic, and nitrogen-containing polycyclic aromatic compounds. The nonextractable residues of different rank coals were subjected to solvated electron reduction. A total of 61 wt% solubility was obtained for a low rank North Dakota lignite. Cleavage of weak linkages and distortion of hydrogen bonds were the main reactions involved in this reduction, which resulted in high solubility for the low rank coal. Chemically bonded long chain n-alkanes were identified in the North Dakota lignite from its reduced products.

Research Organization:
Brigham Young Univ., Provo, UT (USA)
OSTI ID:
7042724
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English