The Characterization of Liquid Product via Flash Pyrolysis of Coal (Hazro, SE Anatolia, Turkey)

Abstract

Coal can be converted into a variety of secondary products, such as light hydrocarbon gases, tar, and high quality fuel char, by means of pyrolysis. Liquefaction of Hazro (Diyarbakir, SE Anatolia, Turkey) coal, −0.60 + 0.25 mm particle size, and using flash pyrolysis was performed in a fixed-bed reactor with a heating rate 40°C min−1 at a temperature ranging from 400 to 800°C under nitrogen atmosphere. The effect of temperature on conversion and liquid yield was examined. The flash pyrolysis temperature resulted in a large increase in the oil yield, tar, and gases; a large increase in the yield of hydrocarbon gases occurred as a result of temperature at 550°C, which was attributed to an increased thermal cracking of pyrolysis vapors. Pyrolysis oil was treated with silica gel column chromatography. Using n-hexane, toluene, and methanol, the oil was separated into aliphatic, aromatic, and polar components, respectively. The fractions from silica gel chromatography of liquid product obtained both by nitrogen pyrolysis were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.