Mössbauer study of iron catalysis in Victorian brown coal liquefaction

Mössbauer spectroscopy was used to investigate the means by which iron promotes the hydroliquefaction of Victorian brown coal. Microparticulate ferric oxyhydroxide incorporated in the initial coal is reduced during hydrogenation through magnetite and troilite to α-iron, which transforms to cementite at 380 °C. It is proposed that a transient divalent iron species slows the initial thermal degradation of coal and that α-Fe is responsible for enhancing the ultimate liquefaction yield.