Structural Characterization of Coal and Carbonaceous Materials
Summary
Structural characterisation of coal and related carbonaceous materials centres on elucidating the arrangement of aromatic and aliphatic moieties, the distribution of oxygen- and nitrogen-containing functional groups, and the dimensions of graphene-like microcrystallites. Coal exhibits a turbostratic carbon structure in which aromatic layers are stacked with varying interlayer spacing and lateral dimensions. Variations in rank reflect progressive condensation of aromatic nuclei, reduction of aliphatic side chains and loss of heteroatomic functions. Analytical techniques such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy yield complementary insights: infrared methods quantify functional groups, diffraction reveals microcrystalline parameters (interlayer spacing, stacking height) and Raman probes the degree of disorder in sp2 networks. These structural insights underpin optimisation of coal utilisation—from combustion and gasification to production of carbon materials—and inform assessments of gas adsorption, coking behaviour and environmental reactivity.
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Structural Characterization of Coal and Carbonaceous Materials publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in structural characterization of coal and carbonaceous materials across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
FTIR spectroscopy: A technique that measures infrared absorption to identify and quantify functional groups in carbonaceous materials.
X-ray diffraction (XRD): A method that uses diffracted X-rays to determine microcrystalline parameters such as interlayer spacing and stacking height.
Interlayer spacing (d002): The distance between successive aromatic carbon layers in turbostratic structures, indicative of ordering and graphitisation.
Crystallite size (Lc): The average height of stacked aromatic layers, reflecting the degree of microcrystalline development.
Aromaticity: The fraction of carbon atoms incorporated in aromatic rings, a key measure of coal rank and condensation.
References
- Analysis of Outburst Coal Structure Characteristics in Sanjia Coal Mine Based on FTIR and XRD. Energies (2022).
- Study on the Occurrence Difference of Functional Groups in Coals with Different Metamorphic Degrees. Molecules (2023).
- Nitration of Jharia basin coals, India: a study of structural modifications by XRD and FTIR techniques. International Journal of Coal Science & Technology (2021).
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