Scientific Reports (Oct 2023)

Structural characterization and macromolecular structure construction of non-caking coal in Chicheng Mine

  • Jinzhang Jia,
  • Qiang Yang,
  • Baogang Liu,
  • Dongming Wang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-44045-2
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 1
pp. 1 – 15

Abstract

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Abstract Given that coal is not a homogeneous substance, it is of great significance to identify and quantify the structural characteristics thereof for comprehensive analysis. In this paper, the non-caking coal in Chicheng Coal Mine was selected as the research object. The C, H, O, N, and S contents in the coal samples were obtained by proximate/ultimate analysis experiments. The structural characteristics of aromatic, aliphatic hydrocarbons, and oxygen-containing functional groups in the experimental coal samples were obtained by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) experiments. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) experiments were performed to obtain the occurrence state of N and S elements in coal samples. Nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR) experiments provided the carbon skeleton structural information of the coal samples. The macromolecular structure model of non-caking coal in the Chicheng Coal Mine was established on this basis. The molecular formula of non-caking coal in Chicheng Coal Mine was determined to be C207H181O32N3S.The13C NMR-predicted spectrum of the model showed good consistency with the 13C NMR-experimental spectrum obtained from the experiments, providing researchers with reference to the construction ideas and methods of molecular structure models of different coal samples.