Abstract
In the past several years there has been a renewed interest in fundamental studies of coals and coal conversion. This interest is due to the expectation that an understanding of the structure of coal and of the fundamental processes during coal conversion would aid the development of technology for the utilization of coal on cost-effective and environmentally acceptable terms. In this context, electron spin resonance (ESR) is a promising technique, for it can be used to study paramagnetic centres in coal, including reactive free radicals which are generally assumed to have a key role in conversion processes. The ESR measurements of coals reported to date have all been measurements of pre-existing free radicals or free radicals remaining after some treatment. We report here the fabrication and utilization of a uniquely designed high-pressure–high-temperature ESR cavity and the first in situ observation of free radicals in coals.
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Petrakis, L., Grandy, D. Formation and behaviour of coal free radicals in pyrolysis and liquefaction conditions. Nature 289, 476–477 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/289476a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/289476a0
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