Hydrocarbon gas-generating potential and pyrolysis characteristics of Yuanbao coal and its macerals, China

Abstract

The present study consists of the pyrolysis behaviors, evolution characters of pyrolysis products and hydrocarbon gases-generating potential of Yuanbao coal and its macerals (including vitrinite, liptinite and inertinite). The results show that the thermal stability follows the order of liptinite>inertinite>coal>vitrinite. Vitrinite has the maximum gases-generating potential, but liptinite has the greatest hydrocarbon gases-generating potential. Carbon content rises, while the hydrogen and oxygen content decrease with the rise of pyrolysis temperature. Carbonification rate is in the order: inertinite>vitrinite> coal >liptinite. Differences in chemical composition and structure character between coal and macerals chars decrease with increasing temperature. The S₁+S₂and TOC of samples reach the maximum value in pyrolysis experiments at about 300^oC, and they decrease slowly when the pyrolysis temperature is higher than 500 ^oC. [300 ^oC, 500 ^oC] is the main temperature range of hydrogen-producing for coal and macerals. R_{o, max} (the maximum vitrinite reflectance) between 1.02 and 2.97% is main section of generating hydrocarbon gases for coal.