QUANTITATIVE-ANALYSIS OF SULFUR IN COAL BY PYROLYSIS-GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY AND MULTIVARIATE DATA-ANALYSIS

Fifteen standard coal samples from the European Centre for Coal Specim ens (SBN) were analyzed by pyrolysis-gas chromatography equipped with a flame ionization detector and a name photometric detector (PST-GC(FI D/FPD)). The yields of sulfur obtained when coal samples were pyrolyze d and combusted were between 56 and 80% of the total amount of sulfur present. The total amount of sulfur in the pyrolysis products was prop ortional to the sulfur content of the coals. The data obtained were ev aluated with principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least-squa res (PLS) regression. Predictive models for the content of total sulfu r, organic sulfur, pyritic sulfur, and inorganic sulfur (the sum of py ritic and sulfate sulfur) were built. It was also possible to obtain a predictive model for the content of volatile matter.