Structure Of Lignite Research Articles

A new insight into the structure of Huolinhe lignite based on the yields of benzene carboxylic acids

Coal is an important fossil energy. In order to improve its use efficiency, the study of its complex structure has drawn much attention all over the world. Since 1942, lots of molecular level models of coal have been proposed. However, they cannot reflect the yield distribution of benzene carboxylic acids (BCAs) that are generated from coal by oxidation. In this work, the organic matter structure of Huolinhe lignite was studied and a new structural model of organic matter of the lignite was constructed based on the yield distribution of BCAs from the oxidation of the lignite. Huolinhe lignite was analyzed via ultimate analysis, FTIR, XPS and 13C NMR to investigate its elemental composition, organic functional groups, and carbons types and quantities. At first, various carbon structural parameters of the lignite were calculated through peak fitting of 13C NMR. Then, combined with BCAs yields, aromatic clusters of the lignite model were built. Finally, a structural model of the lignite organic matter was constructed combined with the results of ultimate analysis, FTIR, XPS, 13C NMR and the contents of carboxyl and phenolic hydroxyl groups. The results showed that the model had a molecular formula of C3942H3666O883N50S11, and a molecular weight of 66,150amu. The model can not only satisfy the results of ultimate analysis, FTIR, XPS, 13C NMR and the contents of carboxyl and phenolic hydroxyl groups, but also explain the generation of BCAs in the process of lignite oxidation and satisfy the yield distributions of BCAs. The work provides a new way to study and construct the organic matter structural model of coal.

Pore structure development in Xilingol lignite under microwave irradiation

The pore structure of Xilingol lignite irradiated by microwave was investigated to determine drying time, microwave power level, and mineral composition. Pore structure was also determined using N2 adsorption/desorption as well as scanning electric microscopy. The results show that as microwave power increases from 400 W to 800 W, and irradiation time increases from 4 to 16 min, the specific surface area of lignite samples increases, average pore diameter and total pore volume decreases, and the percentage of mesopores increases. The pore volumes, average pore diameters, and special surface area in the center of the lignite sample were greater than those in the outer layers, while the percentage of mesopores decreased slightly. The cluster structure of the lignite samples is simpler and the surface neater, while flat and fibrous structures remain the same. Evolution mechanisms for pore structures during microwave drying were similar, and include structural collapse caused by shrinkage forces resulting from the removal of moisture, the opening and crosslinking of blind and closed pores, and the thermal decomposition of organic macromolecular structures under high temperatures.

Study on the Relationship Between Pore Structure and Water Forms in Pore Using Partially Gasified Lignite Char

The oxygen-containing functional groups and pore structure of lignite are the main factors controlling its moisture readsorption and drying behaviors. However, the effects of these two factors were not separated in former studies. To minimize the effect of differences in surface chemical properties, several partially gasified lignite char samples with different pore structure but similar surface functional groups were used. The surface areas and volumes of micro-, meso-, and macro-pores of samples were determined by CO2 adsorption, helium pycnometry, and mercury intrusion porosimetry. The concentrations of different forms of water in moisturized char samples were determined from the equilibrium moisture contents at constant humidity and temperature and from the results of dewatering experiments analyzed by thermogravimetry coupled with differential scanning calorimetry (TGA-DSC). The congelation characteristics of water in moisturized char samples were studied by low-temperature DSC. The relationship betw...

Development of porous structure of lignite chars at high pressure and temperature

Lignite comprises a considerable element of the world energy balance resources applicable for thermochemical conversion with conventional methods of combustion or gasification, but also with the unconventional techniques of the in-situ processing for energy recovery. The porous structure of chars affects the thermal conductivity, as well as flow and sorption phenomena, which are key factors in thermochemical processing of fossil fuels. Yet, the literature data on the temperature, and especially pressure induced development of the porous structure of lignite chars is extremely limited. In the study the characteristics of lignite chars produced under 1, 2, 3, and 4MPa and at 1273K was presented. The enhanced porous structure development with pressure increase, followed by a slight reduction in surface area and pore volume with further pressure rise was observed. The pressure conditions of the peak development of porous structure differed for various lignite samples tested. The importance of devolatilisation for microporosity growth and moisture release for the development of the total porous structure under the process conditions applied were also indicated. The results proved the complex effect of the specific process conditions applied in the study, and fuel characteristics on the growth of porosity of lignite chars.

Experimental study of the physicochemical structure and moisture readsorption characteristics of Zhaotong lignite after hydrothermal and thermal upgrading

Hydrothermal and thermal upgrading techniques are promising coal drying methods that enable the utilization of low rank coals. In this study, Zhaotong (ZT) lignite from the Yunnan province of China was hydrothermally upgraded at 150–300°C and thermally upgraded at 200–500°C; then, the correlation between the changes in the physical and chemical structures and the moisture readsorption characteristics were investigated. The maturity of lignite was improved by the upgrading treatment. The main hydrophilic oxygen-containing groups, including hydroxyl and carboxyl, were effectively removed as the upgrading temperature increased. In addition, the removal of hydroxyl groups was more remarkable during hydrothermal upgrading. Irreversible changes occurred in the pore structure of the treated lignites; the specific surface area and total pore volume first increased and then decreased with hydrothermal upgrading, whereas the specific surface area and total pore volume continually increased with thermal upgrading as the temperature increased. In addition, the gel-like structure of the lignite experienced violent shrinkages and collapses. The moisture readsorption performance was effectively inhibited under the synergy effects of the physicochemical structure such that the moisture readsorption ratio (MRR) and moisture holding capacity (MHC) decreased continuously with the increasing upgrading temperature. An MHC model built through multiple linear regressions proved suitable to describe the moisture readsorption of the upgraded lignites.

Following the structure and reactivity of Tuncbilek lignite during pyrolysis and hydrogenation

Combustion, pyrolysis and hydropyrolysis reactivity of Tuncbilek lignite was monitored by temperature programmed pyrolysis (TPP) under pure nitrogen flow, temperature programmed oxidation (TPO) under air flow and temperature programmed hydrogenation (TPH) under hydrogen flow at atmospheric pressure in a packed bed reactor.The structures of the organic and inorganic components were analyzed by NMR spectroscopy and XRD. Only methane and hydrogen were the main products of TPP while small amounts of CO and CO2 were also observed. Solid-state 1H and 13C CPMAS and 1H liquid Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy of the pristine lignite, as well as tar and char products of pyrolysis and hydrogenation (hydropyrolysis), revealed similar tar compositions. TGA of pyrolysis chars indicated that there were more residual volatiles in hydropyrolysis char in comparison to pyrolysis char. Elemental analysis of pyrolysis and hydropyrolysis chars revealed that 25% of sulfur was lost during pyrolysis, whereas >90% of sulfur was lost during hydropyrolysis indicating efficiency of atmospheric pressure hydropyrolysis for both desulfurization and tar production. Volatile matter and fixed carbon, mostly aromatic, gave rise to distinct oxidation peaks during TPO. The oxidation peak due to volatiles was missing from TPO of pyrolysis char as well as from organic contents determined by NMR spectroscopy.

Effect of mechanical thermal expression drying technology on lignite structure

ABSTRACTMechanical thermal expression (MTE) is a developing nonevaporative lignite dewatering technology. It has been proved to be effective to dewater high moisture content in low-rank coals via the application of mechanical force and thermal energy at elevated temperatures. In this paper, the dewatering behavior of the Xiaolongtang lignite in Yunnan province, China during the MTE process was studied with three process parameters: time, temperature, and pressure. Meanwhile, the mechanism was also explored of how variations in temperature and pressure during the MTE process affect the surface oxygen functional groups and pore structure, which was mainly conducted by means of Fourier transform-infrared spectrometer (FTIR) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). Increases in MTE temperature and pressure resulted in significant reductions in residual moisture content and moisture-holding capacity, along with the increase in fixed carbon content and content reductions of other elements, especially oxygen content, this could be largely attributed to the destruction of the surface oxygen functional groups and porosity in the lignite. Technologically, the optimal conditions for temperature and pressure are 150–220°C and 6–10 MPa. The residual moisture content of the lignite treated by MTE at 200°C, 10 MPa is lower than 8%; the dewatering rate reaches over 76% with the calorific value being approximately 22 MJ/kg. Carboxyl and hydroxyl groups break down at drying temperatures above 120°C and constant applied pressure 10 MPa; with the pore volume significantly reduced, only few pores (diameter < 1 µm) remain at 30 MPa and 150°C (as well as above). The reduction in residual moisture content, surface oxygen functional groups, and pore volume under increasingly severe MTE conditions are suggestive of the structure changes that accompany increased coalification (rank) within the lignitic range.

Effect of temperature and stress on molecular structure and carbon monoxide generation of lignite from Kailuan mining area

In order to analyze the origin of carbon monoxide (CO) in coal seams, stress–strain experiments under temperature of 50, 150 and 250°C were conducted using lignite from Kailuan mining area. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and elemental analysis were carried out before and after deformation of the samples. The results indicated that CO generated at 150 and 250°C; the gas component was mostly oxygen (O2), with small amount of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and hydrogen (H2). At 50°C, O2 and a little CO2 were observed and no CO was found. The carbon content of the coal samples increased slightly after deformation, and the oxygen content, H/C ratio, and O/C ratio decreased. The molecular structure of coal displayed different evolution characteristics at various temperatures. At 50 and 150°C, the falling off of side chains, broken of ether bond and directional realignment of the aliphatic chains resulting in the formation of long chains were the main performance of coal molecular structure evolution. While at 250°C, the side chains fell off and short chains formed. Furthermore, at both 150 and 250°C, condensed degree of aromatic ring increased. Under the action of temperature and pressure, CO forms in two ways. The first is that ether bond breaks, oxygen and carbon atoms combine together and forms CO, or O2 forming in the broken of ether–oxygen bond leads to the oxidation of free radicals and resulting in the formation of CO. And the second is that CO derives from falling off of CO group.

The structure and pyrolysis product distribution of lignite from different sedimentary environment

Low-temperature pyrolysis is an economically efficient method for lignite to obtain coal tar and improve its combustion calorific value. The research on the distribution of pyrolysis product (especially coal tar yield) plays an important role in energy application and economic development in the now and future. Pyrolysis test was carried out in a tube reactor at 873K for 15min. The structure of the lignite was measured by solid 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The thermal analysis was analyzed by thermo-gravimetric (TG) analyzer. The results show that the pyrolysis product distribution is related to the breakage of branch structures of aromatic ring in lignites from different sedimentary environment. The gas yield and composition are related to the decomposition of carbonyl group and the breakage of aliphatic carbon. The tar yield derived from lignite pyrolysis follows the order: Xianfeng lignite (XF, 13.67wt.%)>Xiaolongtan lignite (XLT, 7.97wt.%)>Inner Mongolia lignite (IM, 6.30wt.%), which is mainly influenced by the aliphatic carbon contents, the CH2/CH3 ratio and the oxygen functional groups in lignite. The pyrolysis water yield depends on the decomposition of oxygen functional groups. IM has the highest content of oxygen-linked carbon so that the pyrolysis water yield derived from IM is the highest (9.20wt.%), and is far more than that from the other two lignites.

Effect of hydrothermal treatment on the structure and pyrolysis product distribution of Xiaolongtan lignite

Hydrothermal treatment of Xiaolongtan lignite (XLT) was carried out in a lab autoclave and the pyrolysis was studied in a tube reactor at 873K for 15min. The structure of the lignite was characterized by solid state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results show that the lignite structure and pyrolysis product distribution have a significant change after hydrothermal treatment. Hydrothermal treatment is divided into three stages with the temperature increasing. The oxygen functional groups decompose and substituted by hydrogen in the first stage (<493K). The pyrolysis tar yields increase from 7.97wt.% of XLT to 9.60wt.% of XLT-493 and the pyrolysis water decreases. In the second stage (493–533K), hydrothermal treatment disrupts the weak covalent bond such as ether, ester and side-chain substituent by hydrolysis. Meanwhile, hydrogen transfer takes place between water and lignite or among the intra-molecular structure lead to increment of the CH2/CH3 ratio. The pyrolysis tar yields increase to 9.76wt.% of XLT-513 and the pyrolysis water decreases sequentially. Then, the pyrolysis water increases and pyrolysis tar decreases because of the obvious increment of the oxygen-linked aromatic carbon and little increase of the ratio of CH2/CH3. The pyrolysis water and tar decrease subsequently in the third stage (>533K) as the result of the cleavage of covalent bonds.

Effects of solvent thermal treatment on the functional groups transformation and pyrolysis kinetics of Indonesian lignite

Organic solvent upgrading Indonesian lignite was performed in a 1L autoclave under moderate temperature. The chemical structure and functional groups transformation of lignite upgraded by two organic solvents (ethanol and n-hexane) were analyzed to explore the upgrading mechanism of solvent thermal treatment by using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). In addition, the characteristics of pyrolysis of treated samples were investigated using thermo gravimetric (TG) to clarify the variance of pyrolysis reactivity. Results showed that the carbon content and calorific value of upgraded lignite were significantly improved, and H/C and O/C ratios of treated samples were significantly reduced with the temperature increasing. The relative percentage of carbonyl and carboxyl carbon, oxygenated aliphatic carbon and methoxyl carbon of lignite upgraded at 300°C decreased by 20–30%. However, the carbon-substituted and protonated aromatic carbon at 120–135ppm and protonated aromatic carbon at 90–120ppm were significantly increased after lignite was upgraded by the two solvents at above 200°C. These transformations indicated that oxygen-containing functional group was substituted by hydrogen or carbon-substituent as temperature increased, and were intensified at above 200°C. In addition, oxygen-loss in the treated samples was attributed to the loss of carbonyl group at 175ppm, dihydric phenol at 147ppm, and methoxyl group at 55ppm. The activation energy of upgraded lignite at 300°C were higher than those of raw lignite and upgraded lignite at 100 and 200°C, indicating the low reactivity of pyrolysis of the treated lignite with the temperature increasing.

ReaxFF simulations of hydrothermal treatment of lignite and its impact on chemical structures

Abstract Two structural models for pyrolysis and hydrothermal treatment of lignite were constructed to investigate the impact of water at high temperature on the structure and reaction processes of lignite. The chemical model proposed by Wolfrum was used as the structural unit of the two models. Reactive force field molecular dynamics was employed to simulate the reaction process of the two models at 1000–3000 K over a period of 300 ps. The characteristics observed in the simulation agree well with the known characteristics of the lignite structure and reactions. The effects of temperature on the product distributions, intermolecular interactions and elementary reactions were analyzed. We found that the temperature should be controlled in an appropriate range in hydrothermal treatment to reach maximum ratio when extracted by organic solvents. The added water molecules can form hydrogen bond with O-containing groups and complexes with metal atoms, destroying intermolecular interactions in lignite. The hydrogen radicals from water molecules can inhibit cross-linking reactions between relatively small fragments, thereby decreasing molecular weights distribution of lignite. Furthermore, water molecules are also favorable to releasing O-containing groups and metal atoms at high temperatures. This work is an intensive study on hydrothermal-treatment mechanism at high temperatures at the atomic level. These conclusions could be helpful for the clean coal technology of lignite.

Study of water-extractable fractions from South Moravian lignite

Lignite can be applied directly in natural form on agricultural fields as a soil conditioner. However, there is little information on leaching of risky compounds by its interaction with water. South Moravian lignite was therefore extracted with water at 25 °C and 2.3 % of water-soluble fractions were obtained from lignite corresponding to 0.3 % of total organic carbon. All ten fractions form aromatic and aliphatic structures with oxygen-containing functional groups such as carboxyl groups, alcohols, ethers, esters, can be characterized as fulvic-like and humic-like substances. According to the XPS spectra, the fractions contain two nitrogen forms, one of which is ascribed to pyrroles and the second is related to protonated amines or quaternary nitrogen. Analysis at molecular level showed that the fractions contain compounds such as benzene carboxylic acids and their derivatives, small aliphatic diacids, fatty acids and polyols. Most of the identified molecules reflect clearly the presence of microbial remains in the lignite structure since microbial activity during coalification is well known. The differences between the individual fractions are negligible, especially after 21 days of extraction. From environmental point of view, it seems that the identified compounds do not represent a toxic risk.

Pyrolysis Mechanism of Metal-Ion-Exchanged Lignite: A Combined Reactive Force Field and Density Functional Theory Study

Three-dimensional structural models for lignite and metal-ion-exchanged lignite were constructed to investigate the impact of added metal species on their pyrolysis. The Wender model was used as the structural unit of the two models, and Ca(OH)2 was used as the added metal species. Reactive force field molecular dynamics was employed to simulate the pyrolysis of the two models at 1000–2000 K over a period of 300 ps. Subsequently, cleavage pathways in the pyrolysis of the two models were determined. The characteristics observed in the simulation agree well with the known characteristics of the lignite structure. We found that the initial reactions in the pyrolysis of the two models are mainly decarboxylation and cleavage of the bridged C–O bond. These reactions were further confirmed by density functional theory calculations. Upon addition of Ca(OH)2 to lignite, the carboxyl and phenolic hydroxyl could be deprotonated. Added metal species changed the pathways for both reactions from homolytic cleavage to h...

Distribution, composition and origin of coalbed gases in excavation fields from the Preloge and Pesje mining areas, Velenje Basin, Slovenia

Coal gas outbursts (especially CO2) present a high risk in mining of lignite in the Velenje Coal Mine, located in the Velenje Basin in northern Slovenia. A programme of monitoring geochemical parameters was set up to help understand the behaviour of the coalbed gas distribution in advance of the working face using mass spectrometric methods to study its molecular and isotopic compositions and origin. Coalbed gas samples from four different excavation fields (G2/C and K.-130/A from the north and south Preloge mining area and K.-5/A and K.-50/C from the Pesje mining area), which were operational between the years 2010 and 2011 were investigated. The major gas components are CO2 and methane. Temporal changes in the chemical and isotopic composition of free seam gases were observed within boreholes as a function of the advancement of the working face. The study also revealed that at a distance of around 120m from the working face, the influence of coal exploitation by the Velenje Longwall Mining Method causes coalbed gas to migrate. At a distance of 70m the lignite structure is crushed causing desorption of fixed CO2 from the coal. Differences in coalbed gas composition at the longwall panels which underlie the unmined area or under previously mined areas were found. A high CDMI {=[CO2/(CO2+CH4)]100 (%)} index with values up to 95.6% was typical for areas of pre-mined excavation fields (South Preloge K.-130/A and Pesje area K.-5/A), while in excavation fields with no previous mining activity (North Preloge G2/C and Pesje area K.-50/C) up to 61.9 vol % of CH4 was detected. The concentration measurements and isotopic studies revealed endogenic CO2 (including CO2 originating from dissolution of carbonates) with δ13CCO2 values ranging from −7.0‰ to 5.5‰, microbial methane and CO2 with values ranging from −70.4 to −50‰ and from −11.0 to −7.0‰, respectively. Higher δ13CCH4 values ranging from −50 to −19.8‰ could be attributed to so-called secondary processes influencing the δ13CCH4 value, such as migration due to lignite excavation (escape of isotopically lighter methane). In excavation fields (G2/C and K.-50/C) with no-premining activity higher δ13CCH4 values could also be explained by migration of methane from deeper strata. The δ13CCH4 value also depended on the depth of the excavation field; at shallower levels of the excavation field (K.-5/A) a lower δ13CCH4 value was traced indicating microbial gas, while at deeper levels higher δ13CCH4 values were found.

Flame pattern, temperatures and stability limits of pulverized oxy-coal combustion

The challenges in maintaining a stable oxy-coal flame have been reported in the open literature. In case of pulverized coal combustion, narrower flammable regimes arise not only of differences in the feed gas composition, but also due to changes in the flow dynamics because of reduced volume flow rate through the burners to match similar temperatures and radiative heat transfer within the furnace. The present work focuses on the study of flame structure and stability of pre-dried lignite fired by a staged feed-gas burner. Experimental runs were carried out in a 0.40MWth laboratory facility, with the objective of investigating the effects of swirl strength and feed gas distribution in the burner registers. To assess the experimental data, a numerical study of the non-reacting flow in the near burner region is performed. Predicted flow pattern and flame images show that the primary fuel jet penetrates the internal recirculation zone, forming an annular doughnut reverse flow region for both firing conditions and resembling a type-1 flame pattern. Temperature measurements indicate that the feed gas distribution among the burner registers control the flame temperature in parallel with the swirl number in both air-fired and oxy-fired environments. The oxy-fuel cases exhibite markedly reduced temperatures on the flame axis. This difference in the core arises not just from the more pronounced penetration depth of the primary jet, but also due to reaction mechanisms including pyrolysis and gasification reactions at the higher concentrations of CO2 and water vapor. Flame stabilization is shown to be strongly dependent on an appropriate distribution of the feed gas and strength of swirling flow in the burner front. The results correlated in terms of swirl number, secondary/tertiary flow ratio and secondary/primary axial momentum point to similarities in the stability limits between air-firing and oxy-firing.

Simultaneous production of small-molecule fatty acids and benzene polycarboxylic acids from lignite by alkali-oxygen oxidation

Alkali-oxygen oxidation of coals to produce high-value benzene polycarboxylic acids (BPCAs) is a potential route in the future. Among the coal ranks, lignite has been proved to be easily oxidized due to its low coalification, but the yield of BPCAs obtained from lignite is relatively low because of the low content of aromatic clusters in its structures. However, the aliphatic structures of lignite are relatively rich, which may be served as the mother structures for small-molecule fatty acids (SMFAs). Thus, in the present work, three lignites were oxidized in aqueous alkaline solutions by oxygen. SMFAs were detected and quantified in addition to BPCAs after the reaction. The results show that when the optimal BPCAs yields (18.4–21.5%) are obtained, large amount of SMFAs (39.8–23.2 wt.%) can be obtained simultaneously, including oxalic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, succinic acid and malonic acid. The oxidation of model compounds shows that SMFAs are mainly derived from the oxidation of aliphatic structures as well as the opening of benzene rings in the lignite structure.

Investigation on the macromolecular network structure of Xianfeng lignite by a new two-step depolymerization

Based on thermal extraction (TE) and mild oxidation, a new two-step depolymerization method was presented to investigate the macromolecular structure of Xianfeng lignite (XL). The TE of XL was carried out at 320°C in 1-methylnaphthalene. The residue was oxidized with 5% H2O2 aqueous solution at 40°C under normal nitrogen atmosphere for 4h. Most of organic matter in XL was solubilized by the TE and subsequent oxidation. FTIR analysis reveals that the extract from the TE of XL is rich in aliphatic moieties and carbonyl groups but poor in aromatic rings and hydroxyl groups, whereas the residue is enriched in macromolecular aromatics. The mild oxidation introduced carbonyl groups into the macromolecular matrix of XL. The high yields of malonic acid and succinic acid and without benzene polycarboxlic acids from the residue oxidation suggest that –CH2– and –CH2CH2– are main bridged bonds between aromatic rings and benzene ring should be an important aromatic ring in XL.

Evolution of the Char Structure of Lignite under Heat Treatment and Its Influences on Combustion Reactivity†

A lignite and its demineralized sample were pyrolyzed in a tube furnace under various temperatures from 773 to 1673 K. The resulting chars were systematically characterized with Raman spectroscopy for carbon microstructure, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for functional groups, and N2 adsorption isotherm for pore structure. The reactivity of char combustion was measured with thermogravimetric analysis based on a non-isothermal approach to derive the reactivity index and kinetic data. Over the range of heat-treatment temperatures studied, char structure evolution had different behaviors before and after 1073 K. Increasing the treatment temperature from 773 to 1073 K led to the increases in the concentrations and the growth of aromatic ring sizes indicated by the evolutions of Raman parameters, the decreases in functional groups, and the increase of smaller pores. When the treatment temperature was increased from 1073 to 1673 K, the evolutions of Raman band area ratios and pore structure indicated that the main change was the microstructure ordering. Mineral matter was found to have little impact on the structure evolution of the lignite char. Combustion reactivity index and activation energy were observed to increase with the treatment temperature because of char structure evolution and ordering. Mineral matter was found to have a catalytic effect on the reactivity but no influence on the activation energy. Fairly good linear correlations were found between the reactivity index and band area ratios of ID1/IG and IG/IALL when considering the structure evolution behaviors at lower and higher temperature regions, respectively.

Degradation of lignite model compounds by the action of white rot fungi

Three compounds modeled on the lignite structure were chosen for experimental degradation by different fungi strains. Culture conditions and extracellular enzyme activities were optimized. The growth curves of the strains were determined to study mycelium dry weight and protein content changes. Gas chromatography and infrared spectroscopy were used to detect changes of functional groups before and after the action of the fungi on the model compounds. Possible decomposition products and degradation mechanisms were proposed. The research findings show that C. Versicolor and Golden Mushroom can grow in presence of the model compounds. The optimum culture conditions were a pH of 6.0, a carbon-nitrogen ratio of five and a Tween-80 concentration of 0.1%. Newly produced substances were found by gas chromatography. Infrared analysis showed that the model compounds degraded under the action of the microorganisms.