Flash pyrolysis of lakhara lignite utilizing effective radical transfer

Flash pyrolysis of raw and tetralin treated coal samples were carried out in nitrogen atmosphere. Two representative coal samples from Lakhra coalmines labeled Lakhra-3 (L3) and Lakhra-6B (L6B) were pyrolyzed in their raw state and after treatment with tetralin. Initial experiments were carried out at 700 degreesC with 2 milligrams of 80 mesh size samples. The main hydrocarbon products detected from both samples were methane, ethylene, ethane, propane, butane, pentane, benzene, toluene and xylene (BTX). The ratio of the total hydrocarbon yield from L3 and L6B raw samples is 1:1.49, respectively, while the relative yield of aliphatic C-1-C-5 straight chain products to BTX are 7.65:5.49. Theses differences in product yields clearly indicate the compositional variation between the two samples. The total hydrocarbon yield (C-1-C-5 + BTX) of tetralin swollen L3 coal and L6B coal was larger than the raw coal at all temperatures, and larger by 50.6% and 32.6%, respectively, at 700 degreesC. The treatment of coal samples has a more pronounced effect on BTX yield than C-1-C-5 aliphatic hydrocarbons. BTX yield of tetralin treated L3 coals at 700 degreesC was 3.5 times higher while for L6B coal the BTX yield was 2.1 times higher than the raw samples. These significant increases in hydrocarbons yields can be explain in terms of the suppression of the cross-linking reactions of coal fragments due to the penetration of tetralin in to the micropores of coal, as well as the effective H radicals transfer from tetralin to coal fragments during pyrolysis.