Determination of organic oxygen content of coals

Abstract Fast neutron activation analysis has been used to determine organic oxygen (O org ) content of coals by subtracting the oxygen content of the mineral matter from the total oxygen content of the coals. Mineral matter was isolated by low temperature ashing in an oxygen plasma. Optimum ashing conditions produce minimal changes in chemical composition of mineral matter; these changes were taken into account when calculating the O org content. The O org contents of whole coals are substantially different — in some cases by as much as 47% — from the ASTM oxygen contents and those calculated on a dry, mineral matter free basis from the ultimate analysis data. Excellent agreement between the FNAA O org contents of the whole and demineralized coals lends support to the reliability of this experimental approach.