Rank dependence of organic sulfur functionalities in coal

Organic sulfur functionalities were characterized and quantified by atmospheric-pressure temperature-programmed reduction (AP-TPR). Nine coals were chosen to cover the entire rank range from subbituminous coal to anthracite. To be able to study the organic sulfur groups, the vitrinite concentrates were separated from each coal sample. The results confirm the larger amount of sulfide in low-rank coals. The amount of thiophenes generally increases with rank. Nevertheless, sulfur functionality distribution can vary from coal to coal even at the same rank.