Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry of coal liquids produced during a coal liquefaction process

Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC) coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MS) has been applied to the analysis of coal-derived liquids from the former British Coal Point-of-Ayr coal liquefaction plant. The feed to the hydrocracker and the resulting product were analyzed. The results refer almost exclusively to the plant-derived recycle solvent, known as the liquefaction solvent; the molecular mass range of the GC does not exceed that of the solvent. The method allows for the resolution of the numerous structural isomers of tetralin and methyl indan, one pair of hydrogen-donor (necessary for the dissolution of coal) and isomeric nondonor (that reduce the hydrogen donors) components of the recycle solvent. In addition, the n-alkanes that concentrate in the recycle solvent are easily observed in comparison with the results from one-dimensional GC-MS.