XANES analysis of sulfur form change during pyrolysis of coals

Three kinds of coal and their density separated samples were rapidly pyrolyzed in a free-fall reactor under a nitrogen stream at a terminal temperature of 1253 K. X-ray absorption near edge structure analysis was applied to directly determine the sulfur forms in the coal and pyrolysis char. The results showed that the low-density group contained sulfide and sulfoxide, which could contribute to the high extent of organic sulfur removal. Thermally stable thiophenic sulfur was observed in the higher density groups as a major form of organic sulfur.