The use of solid-state NMR techniques for the analysis of water in coal and the effect of different coal drying techniques on the structure and reactivity of coal; Quarterly report, September 1--November 30, 1993

For the research program reported here, different methods of drying are being investigated to determine if drying can be accomplished without destroying coal reactivity toward liquefaction. In an effort to understand the mechanism of water for enhancing coal liquefaction yield, the reactions of D{sub 2}O with the molecular constituents of coal during coal liquefaction are being investigated. This study involves the use of solution-state deuterium NMR, as well as, conventional solution-state {sup 1}H and {sup 13}C NMR analyses of the coal, and the coal liquids and residue from a coal liquefaction process. These D{sub 2}O transfer reactions will be conducted on coals which have been dried by various methods and rehydrated using D{sub 2}O and by successive exchange of H{sub 2}O associated with the coals with D{sub 2}O. The drying methods include thermal, microwave, and chemical dehydration of the coal. The overall objectives of this study are to develop a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method for measuring the water in coal, to measure the changes in coal structure that occur during coal drying, to determine what effect water has on retrograde/condensation reactions, to determine the mechanism by which water may impact coal reactivity toward liquefaction, and to conduct D{sub 2}O exchange studies to ascertain the role of water in coal liquefaction. The objectives for this quarterly report period were (1) to measure the volumetric swelling ratio for thermally- and microwave-dried coals and (2) to conduct preliminary experiments concerning the exchange of water in coal with deuterium oxide (D{sub 2}O)