Two different rank coals with high organic sulfur content were pretreated by PCE extraction.
Change of sulfur forms and their transformations during pyrolysis were investigated by combined GC-FPD, Raman and XAS.
Changes of sulfur forms in coals and chars before and after PCE extraction are related to the rank of coal.
PCE extraction is more suitable for the desulfurization of low rank coal.
The sulfur is unevenly distributed on the surface and in bulk of coal.