Infra-Red Spectra of Coals

Abstract

Cannon and Sutherland have reported attempts to obtain infra-red absorption spectra of coals, first by examining thin slices of coal¹ and, secondly, by dispersing the finely ground coal in ‘Nujol’ (liquid paraffin)². Using the latter technique, they found it was essential to grind the coal to a particle-size of less than one micron before successful spectra could be obtained. Their examination was limited to the frequency-region 1,000–10,000 cm.⁻¹.