ESR STUDY OF THE MACROMOLECULAR STRUCTURE OF COPPER-PORPHYRIN-LABELEDCOAL

The behavior of the paramagnetic characteristics of low-metamorphized coal and the same coal labeled with copper prophyrin during pyrolysis is interpreted in terms of the microdomain model of the structure of c oal. In this model, vitrainized maceral is regarded as a primarily ani sotropic medium and as a natural high-molecular crystal. Anisotropic u nits or microdomains 6.0 nm in length perform the function of recurren t structural nuclei in different coals. Each microdomain has a complex structure and contains about 15 close-packed crystallites, sequential ly passing to the paramagnetic state during coal pyrolysis.