Hydrothermal treatment was used to
upgrade Inner Mongolia lignite
(IML) before pyrolysis. The hydrogen transfer route during hydrothermal
treatment of lignite by the isotope tracer method was carried out
in an autoclave. Typical experiments of D2O substituted
for pure water under four treatment temperatures (180, 220, 260, and
300 °C) were also performed. The pyrolysis tar composition was
analyzed by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and gas
chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Four kinds of
typical substances were studied in detail in tar from D2O-treated lignite, and the deuterated extent (D1, D2, D3, and D4) was quantitated
by selected peaks in mass spectra. The results showed that the deuterium
atom was more prone to incorporate into the aromatic ring with respect
to aliphatic carbon chains. The values of D2, D3, and D4 were all increased with the
increase of the treatment temperature. Toluene and phenol analyses
showed that deuterium atoms incorporated into the aromatic ring were
distinct by different substituents. The route of hydrogen transfer
during hydrothermal treatment was well-investigated by the deuterium
tracer method.