Reaction of coal with nitrogen in a microwave discharge

In a microwave discharge in nitrogen, high-volatile bituminous coal produces gaseous products, namely hydrogen cyanide, acetylene, small amounts of cyanogen and lowmolecular-weight hydrocarbon gases, and nitrogen-containing compounds, in addition to the usual hydrogen and carbon oxides. The reaction of coal in the nitrogen discharge occurs in two stages: interaction of active nitrogen with the coal molecule to cause rapid volatilization of gaseous products, and slow gasification of residual char by active nitrogen. Various factors influencing product type, yield, and distribution are examined. Under conditions where the gaseous products can be quickly quenched or removed, as by trapping at a very low temperature, more than 42% of carbon in the coal can be converted mainly to hydrogen cyanide and acetylene, which together constitute about 90% of the total products.