The flash pyrolysis is an efficient method to produce liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons from coal.This paper reports the flash pyrolysis characteristics of Zalannoer brown coal of Inner Mongolia in H2 and N2 atmospheres. The experiment was carried out in an experimental entrained reactor. The results showed that the yield of gaseous hydrocarbons by flash pyrolysis in H2 atmosphere is 1.5 times larger than that in N2

and the yield of hydrocarbon liquid in H2 is 70% larger than that in N2 at atmospheric pressure; the yield of hydrocarbon liquid in H2 is 5.8 times larger than that in N2 at 6.0 MPa

and the yield of CH4 is 5.5 times larger in H2 than in N2 at same pressure.