The mode of association of alkanes with coals

The yield of alkanes released from three coals by liquefaction in tetralin at 400°C is 6–8 times greater than the yield obtained by Soxhlet extraction with the azeotropic micture of benzene and ethanol. The alkanes are dominated by a series of n alkanes, in most cases in the range C₁₄-C₃₄, together with major amounts of pristane and phytane. Homologous series of pentacyclic triterpanes are also present, according to GC/MS analyses. These consist almost entirely of hydrocarbons of the hopane and moretane series (17αH, 21βH and 17βH, 21αH), in the range C₂₇-C₃₄ (C₂₈ being absent). Several members of the series are found in S and R epimeric pairs. Differences in several aspects of alkane distribution between extract and liquefaction products were carefully examined. taking an overall view, the distributions in extract and product oil from any one coal were quite closely similar. It is concluded that the additional alkanes yielded by liquefaction had most probably been physically trapped inside the macromolecular network of the coals, and releasable only on disruption of that network.