In the pyrolysis, liquefaction, and combustion of energy resources, such as coal and biomass, oxygen functional groups, such as carboxylic acids and their alkali and alkaline earth metal salts, phenols and ethers, are proposed to be contributors to retrogressive reactions that reduces the yield of desirable products and leads to the formation of char. Oxygen functional group chemistry is more complex than hydrocarbon chemistry because a variety of ionic, free radical and concerted reaction pathways are available that are easily influenced by metal ions, catalysts, or hydrogen bonding. Moreover, the products from the reaction of oxygenated substrates can be polar and hard to analyze. In this presentation, we will review our studies on the pyrolysis of simple and polymeric model compounds containing oxygen functional groups and provide mechanistic insight into their role in retrogressive reactions. The role of restricted mass transport on retrogressive reactions will also be discussed.

Role of oxygen functional groups in retrogressive reactions

250th National Meeting (2015)

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