SLIDE 18 Graphical
t a t i s t i c a l m e t h
f
the study
s t r u c t u r e and reaction processes
coal
D. W. VAN KREVELEN, D . S c . , M.A.I.Ch.E.
A
graphical-statistical method is developed for t h e study
problems connected with structure and reaction p r
e s s e s
in
this method use is made of a diagram in which t h e atomic hydrogen-to-carbon ratio has been plotted v e r s u s the atomic oxygen-to-carbon r a t i
T h i s graphical method
advantage that the principal reactions s u c h as decarboxylarion, demeihanation, dehydration, dehydrogenation, hydrogenation and
in the aforementioned diagram can b e represented by straight lines. Furthermore, an auxiliary diagram is used where the hydrogen-to-carbon ratio
hydrocarbons has been
pltted
as a f u n c t i
t h e number
carbon atoms per molecule. From
a
combination
t h e two diagrams valuable information can be drawn as regards the structure of
- xygen containing
- rganic products
e . g . high p
y m e r s , s u c h as cellulose. These ideas are applied to the codification series. T h e skeleton structure
l i g n i n evolved in the literature proves to be in conformity with the results
- f the graphical statistical method.
The conversion
to bituminous c
l is found to b e based on a decarboxylation: t h e conversion from high rank bituminous coal to anthracite i s a reaction process in which methane is removed almost exclusively in t h e transition f r
low
rank to high rank bituminous coal a decarboxylation as
well as a demethanarion
and a dehydration
The stoichiometry of t h e coalification is expressed in f
m u l a e .
A
correlation is made between the coalifica non
various vegetable components a n d t h e rank
coal in which the product formed cannot be d i s t i n g u i s h e d from vitrain. Finally t h e formation process
fusain is studied in more detail and t h i s leads to the
con
struction
a f u s i n i z a f i
band by t h e side
t h e coal band
( =
vitrinization band). T h e p r i n c i p a l reaction processes
namely carbonization, hydroconversion, solvent extraction, hydrogenolysis and
i d a t i
, are investigated b y a graphical-statistical method.
it
proves that both in carbonization and in
with gaseous
products show a t e n d e n c y
to yield
a uniform
final product; in the
c a r b
i z a tion this product has the composition
(C
1
H
2
.
1
j.
in the case of
t h e composition i s
(C
5
H
2 3
)
1
.
F u r t h e r carbonization results in a graphirization,
while an oxidation beyond the above c
p
i t i
gives
a complete conversion to carbon dioxide and
water. Thermal decomposition in the presence
w a t e r vapour under pressure must b e based
a
reaction mechanism which
s
J
d y
related with the codification. I n hydrogenation t h e character of t h e final products depends b
h
t h e character of the starring material and
conditions under which t h e hydrogenation is carried
In oxidation with nitric acid, two stages can be distinguished: in the first stage hydrogen is removed while
is absorbed, in t h e second stage both hydrogen
a n d
y g e n are absorbed a n d this in t h e approximate proportion
1:
1 .
Solvent extraction of coal shows that coal is not
a
homogeneous macromolecule: there is either a differentiation in molecular size
such a configuration that fragments
a r e l a t i v e l y low molecular weight a r e split
rather
easily.
van Krevelen,
D . W .
(1950) Fuel 29, 269-284