Abstract

Infrared spectroscopy aids in identification of functional groups in such complex chemical systems as coal. Although peaks representing various chemical bonds in a micro-FT-IR spectrum of coal are often impossible to quantify, the spectral analysis is useful in monitoring of various chemical changes in different coal components and their residual products during coal conversion processes. Traditionally, IR spectra of coal are collected by transmitting the beam through a KBr pellet (about 1% coal by volume) or by using DRIFTS. Such analyses, however, give only an average spectrum for the different macerals in a coal sample. Analyses for separate macerals are impossible without a laborious prior separation procedure. The UMA 300 universal microscope, mounted on the Digilab FTS-40 spectrometer, allows analyses of single maceral components in a coal pellet, a facility we have used at the Energy Research Unit, University of Regina. A few innovations, for easy identification of macerals to be analyzed, are reported here.

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