Reaction of coals in hot acidic phenol at constant acid concentration

✍ Scribed by John W. Larsen; Doyoung Lee

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1983
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 697 KB
• Volume: 62
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0016-2361
• DOI: 10.1016/0016-2361(83)90161-8

✦ Synopsis

Previous work showed that the eff icient 'depolymerization'of bituminous coals in hot phenol containing p-toluenesulphonic acid failed to occur and that the acid was destroyed during the reaction. Four coals varying in rank from lignite to low volatile bituminous were treated with refluxing phenol containing ptoluenesulphonic acid with the acid concentration held constant. The amount of colloidal material, of pyridine-soluble material, of benzene+thanol solubles, and the number average molecular weight of the pyridine extractables were measured as a function of time. Although the reaction proceeds better with the lower rank coals, a large portion of the products is colloidal material. Treatment of coals with hot acidic phenol does not lead to their complete depolymerization. Treatment of Bruceton coal with refluxing phenol saturated with BF3 also failed to give complete depolymerization. The formation of colloidal suspensions during investigations employing spectral and other physical measurements may lead to results that are susceptible to misinterpretation.