Using conventional powder diffractometry and monochromatic Cu Ka X-rays, five of the Argonne Premium Coals have been examined in an attempt to better understand their molecular-level structuring. The diffractograms have been separated into contributions from mineral diffraction, amorphous scattering, and nonideal diffraction, with the latter due to small and nearly planar polycyclic aromatics termed graphenes. Correlation of the diffuse graphene layer stacking peak in each diffractogram with the percentage of aliphatic carbon in the coal suggests that the aliphatic moieties in these bituminous coals cause distortions (nonuniform strains) in the stacking of the graphene units which in turn cause the diffuseness of this peak.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.