Effects of CO Atmosphere on the Pyrolysis of a Typical Lignite

To reveal the effect mechanism of CO atmosphere on coal pyrolysis, a study on raw and demineralized lignite was carried out in a horizontal tube furnace under N 2 and CO/N 2 atmosphere. CO had a negligible effect on the char yield at low temperatures, whereas it enhances the char yield at temperatures higher than 550 °C. The release of tar was higher in the presence of CO above 450 °C because of more free radicals, which reduced low‐temperature crosslinking, and higher selectivity of hydroxyl groups to phenols in the CO‐containing atmosphere. The yields of CO 2 and H 2 increased, water and CO yields decreased under CO/N 2 atmosphere. Light hydrocarbon gases were not affected by changing the reaction atmosphere. The difference between product yields from raw and demineralized coal confirmed that the catalysis of inherent minerals had a great catalytic effect on the water‐gas shift reaction and Boudouard reaction.