Real-time analysis of soot emissions from bituminous coal pyrolysis and combustion with a vacuum ultraviolet photoionization aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer.

This paper reports on-line analyses of the soot emissions from the Inner Mongolia bituminous coal combustion and pyrolysis processes with a vacuum ultraviolet photoionization aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer (VUV-ATOFMS). The soot particles are generated by heating a small amount of screened coal powder in synthetic air and nitrogen atmosphere in a tubular oven. The vacuum ultraviolet photoionization time-of-flight (VUV-TOF) mass spectra of the soot particles emitted from combustion and pyrolysis at different oven temperatures and different stages are obtained. The VUV-TOF mass spectra are assigned with the references of the results of the off-line GC/MS analysis.