Microwave pyrolysis of coals with and without susceptor (graphite) was studied.
Oil yields were 23 ± 2 and 35 ± 3 wt.% (daf) from Indian and Indonesian coals, respectively.
Indian coal oil contained aromatics, phenolics and aliphatic hydrocarbons.
Phenolics constituted a major portion of Indonesian coal oil.
The addition of graphite led to improvement in yield of long chain aliphatics.