Abstract: A method for the determination of phenols in coal tar was established by gas chromatography-oxygen selective flame ionization detector (GC-OFID). The method has good repeatability and can identify the content of lower phenol monomers (phenol, methylphenol, C2 phenol) and the total content of higher phenols. The RSD was less than 5%, the standard recovery was between 97% and 104%, and the linear correlation coefficient R2 was 0.99.The lower limit of oxygen mass fraction of a single substance was 10 μg/g, which met the general requirements of chromatographic analysis. Phenolic substances exist in the coal tar distillate less than 300 ℃. Low phenol content was higher, in which phenol, methyl phenol, phenol and 2, 5 - dimethyl ethyl phenol was principal, while senior phenolic substances had more variety but lower content.

Key words: coal tar, phenolic compounds, GC-OFID