A series of studies are being conducted by the authors from April 1970. Coal is converted to solvent soluble matter by hydrogenolysis under pressure and the chemical reaction in the coal samples in the course of hydrogenolysis is followed. At the same time structural analysis of low molecular reaction products which are solvent soluble are conducted in an attempt to clarify or otherwise elucidate the chemical structure of the sample coal as a whole.
This is our first report and discussions were made on the product distribution, reaction kinetics, the hydrogen distribution in the reaction products concerning the hydrogenolytic reaction conducted and the following conclusions were obtained .
(1) An inner vessel was used in the rotating autoclave with an inner content of 5l. It was considered here that the reaction proceedes at an approximate chemical reaction controlling state.
(2) Whereas we have considered that in the consecutive reaction of hydrocracking A→O2→O1 however as a result of our present work it was revealled that pyridine soluble matter at room temperature of the reaction products plays a role in the reaction, in other words the consecutive reaction should be expressed as
Py-1→A→O2→O1
(3) The main reaction in the hydrogenolysis was the destruction of bridges between unit structures. It was also conjectured that the main part of the bridge structure between the structural units was not CH2 groups α to two rings . This was based on the hydrogen distribution changes in the course of the reaction by high resolution NMR spectroscopy.
(4) A slight saturation of the aromatic rings at the remote end in the Py→A reaction was present.
