Coal Structure 89

Founded on the work of the renowned Advanced Combustion Engineering Research Center, the authors document and integrate current knowledge of the organic and inorganic structure of coal and its reaction processes. With the urgent need for cleaner, more efficient use of this worldwide fuel, their work will set a clear course for future research.

This book provides insights into the development and usage of coal in chemical engineering. The reactivity of coal in processes such as pyrolysis, gasification, liquefaction, combustion and swelling is related to its structural properties. Using experimental findings and theoretical analysis, the book comprehensively answers three crucial issues that are fundamental to the optimization of coal chemical conversions: What is the structure of coal? How does the underlying structure determine the reactivity of different types of coal? How does the structure of coal alter during coal conversion? This book will be of interest to both individual readers and institutions involved in teaching and research into chemical engineering and energy conversion technologies. It is aimed at advanced- level undergraduate students. The text is suitable for readers with a basic knowledge of chemistry, such as first-year undergraduate general science students. Higher-level students with an in-depth understanding of the chemistry of coal will also benefit from the book. It will provide a useful reference resource for students and university-level teachers, as well as practicing engineers.

This book is broadly divided into two sections. A number of main themes are discussed in the first section, 'Chemical Structure and Thermoplastic Properties of Coal', covering such topics as the relationships between the chemical structures of coals and thermoplastic phenomena under heating, studies of higher-ordered agglutination structure of coals, kinetic analyses of thermal decomposition reactions, oxidation and dilatation/contraction of coal particles, and formation mechanisms of coke structure. In the second section, 'Simulation of Coal Pyrolysis and Coke Formation', mathematical formulation models are presented to show thermoplastic phenomena of coals, strengths of produced coke, and phenomena observed when heating coal particles in packed beds.