Transformation kinetics of organic sulphur forms in Argonne Premium coals during pyrolysis

The evolution of H 2S and light hydrocarbon products from pyrolysis of Argonne Premium coals were determined from temperature programmed decomposition (TPD) data by the method of heating rate variation. A kinetic model based on a discrete distribution of activation energies has been developed and used for the analysis of the TPD data. The results for H 2S indicate that the decomposition of organic sulphur forms precedes most of the conversion of carbonaceous solid to volatile matter during pyrolysis. This trend is consistent with X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy findings that little sulphidic sulphur remains after low temperature pyrolysis of coals.