Abstract
Of the forms of sulphur in coal—organic, pyrite, and sulphate—the organic sulphur component is the most difficult to remove before coal can be used. Organic sulphur, which is generally regarded as sulphur in a carbon–sulphur linkage, can represent >50% of the total sulphur found in some coals1. We describe here an investigation into the origin of the organic sulphur in the coal-forming sequence which includes: peat → lignite → bituminous coal → anthracite coal. Because of the chemical heterogeneity and associated chemical complexity of working with either bituminous or anthracite coals, the earliest stage of coal formation, that is the peat-forming stage, was studied. Modern progenitors of coal from the Okefenokee Swamp were studied, as these peat-forming systems closely approximate ancient systems that eventually gave rise to huge coal deposits2–4. While amino acid sulphur from source plants is an important progenitor of organic sulphur in peat, it was found that H2S can react with the organic matter in peat to produce organic sulphur—a source of organic sulphur in coal that has not been previously discussed.
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Casagrande, D., Idowu, G., Friedman, A. et al. H2S incorporation in coal precursors: origins of organic sulphur in coal. Nature 282, 599–600 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1038/282599a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/282599a0
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