Light fraction from catalytic hydroconversion of two Chinese coals in cyclohexane over a solid acid

Abstract Two Chinese coals, Shengli lignite and Shenmu–Fugu subbituminous coal, were subjected to non-catalytic hydroconversion (NCHC) and catalytic hydroconversion (CHC) in cyclohexane at 300 °C for 3 h under pressurized hydrogen using a solid acid as the catalyst, which was prepared by impregnating isometric pentachloroantimony and trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate into an activated carbon. The reaction mixtures from both NCHC and CHC were sequentially extracted with petroleum ether, carbon disulfide, methanol, acetone, and isometric acetone/carbon disulfide mixed solvent to afford extracts 1–5 (E 1 –E 5 ). The results show that both E 1 and total extract yields from CHC are appreciably higher than those from NCHC of each coal. E 1 from either NCHC or CHC of each coal was analyzed with a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS) and an atmospheric solids analysis probe/time of flight mass spectrometer (ASAP/TOF-MS). GC/MS analysis shows that each E 1 consists of alkanes, arenes, and oxygen-containing organic compounds (OCOCs), and most of the arenes are methyl-substituted ones, whereas alkenyl groups only appear on benzene ring; most of the OCOCs are arenols, especially alkylarenols. According to ASAP/TOF-MS analysis, organic compounds with molecular masses ranging from 500 to 950  u appear in E 1 from CHC of both coals.