Formation of gases during radiation-chemical transformations of stone coal

The authors report the results of an experimental investigation on the regularities of formation of H/sub 2/, CO, and CH/sub 4/ during radiationchemical transformation of stone coal (SC) and the SC + H/sub 2/O system. The formation of H/sub 2/, CO, CH/sub 4/ during radiolysis of the SC, purified from moisture and occluding gases, is due to decomposition of its organic part. The content of hydrogen in coked SC and in brown coals differs appreciably. In brown coals, hydrogen is present mainly in the weakly bound functional groups. The content of functional groups in transition from brown coal to stone coal decreases by one order of magnitude.