The chemical nature of a supercritical gas extract including comparison with other coal liquids

Abstract

A supercritical gas extract of an Australian bituminous coal was separated into oil, asphaltene and pre-asphaltene. The oil was further separated by chromatography into three fractions. Average structure data for each fraction are reported based on NMR spectroscopy combined with elemental, molecular weight and functional group analyses. Unsubstituted alkyl chains (> C 8) were found in every fraction of the extract. The presence of n-alkanes, 1-alkenes and phenyl-n-alkanes were shown. The supercritical gas extract was compared with a flash pyrolysis tar and with hydrogenation liquids from the same coal. The supercritical gas extract and the flash pyrolysis tar had a similar distribution between oil, asphaltene and pre-asphaltene, but the oil, asphaltene and pre-asphaltene from the supercritical gas extract were less aromatic and contained fewer heteroatoms than these fractions from the flash pyrolysis tar. The supercritical gas extract has a higher H/C atomic ratio, higher heteroatom content and a higher percentage of carbon in long unsubstituted alkyl chains than hydrogenation liquids produced at 400°C and 450 °C. The oil/asphaltene ratio and the aromaticity of the oil and asphaltene from the supercritical gas extract were intermediate between those obtained for the two hydrogenation liquids.