Investigating pyrolysis characteristics of Shengdong coal through Py-GC/MS

Shengdong coal was single-step and multi-step pyrolyzed by pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. In the single-step pyrolysis process, Mono-ring aromatics contents reach a maximum value at 800°C, while phenolic contents are significantly reduced, which might be attributed to the dehydroxylation of phenolics. Naphthalene content also reaches a maximum value at 800°C in the single-step pyrolysis process; however, naphthalene was not detected in the multi-step pyrolysis process. So naphthalene might come from the ring-opening of multi-ring aromatics or the cyclization of mono-ring aromatics in the single-step pyrolysis process. Only phenol and -cresol were detected, but no -cresol in the multi-step pyrolysis process; however, -cresol content reaches a maximum value at 800°C, meanwhile, phenol content was decreased and -cresol was disappeared in the single-step pyrolysis process, which suggests that -cresol may be derived from isomerization of -cresol or alkylation of phenol. It provides an idea for strengthening more basic research related to the rapid pyrolysis of coal.