Abstract: A high-temperature coal tar (HTCT) was extracted by petroleum ether (PE) and the extract (denoted by PE-HTCT) was characterized using three mass spectrometers to obtain and compare molecular compositional information. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry detected molecules with low molecular weight and polarity such as hydrocarbons. A time-of-flight MS coupled with an atmospheric solids analysis probe ion source realized rapid and in-situ analysis of compounds with mid-polarity in PE-HTCT without sample pretreatment. An electrospray ionization (ESI) Orbitrap MS was used to characterize heteroatom-containing compounds in PE-HTCT. Most heteroatomic species identified by ESI-Orbitrap MS contained oxygen, nitrogen, or both atoms, and the total percentage of both Ooand Nnspecies was approximate 13%. Ketene and furan derivatives were identified in Ooclass, as well as aliphatic amine compounds, azoles, aniline and pyridine derivatives for Nnclass. The combination of three mass spectrometers gave a detailed characterization of coal tar and provided a full view of the corresponding constituents.

Keywords: High-temperature coal tar; Heteroatom-containing compound; GC/MS; Atmospheric solids analysis probe; Orbitrap

2015-Jiliang Zhu, Xing Fan-Fuel Process. Technol..pdf