Reaction regimes in coal oxidation

A series of seven coals were oxidized in a fixed bed reactor to determine the controlling reaction regimes during mild coal oxidation. The effects of coal porosity and particle size, reactor temperature, and oxygen partial pressure were evaluated. The results show that coal‐oxygen reactions are controlled by the rate of internal gaseous diffusion for most coals, and by the rate of chemical reaction for the most porous coal of the set tested. Particle size effects also suggest internal diffusional control. Determinations of cumulative oxygen deposition indicate that surface areas several orders of magnitude greater than the superficial surface can participate in oxidation reactions, putting in doubt the applicability of the model previously derived by Kam et al. (1976a) for external mass transfer control.