The chlorine uptake of two Turkish lignites during chlorinolysis with chlorine gas in water and water-carbon tetrachloride media at ambient pressure (congruent to 610 mmHg) was examined. The effects of speed of stirring (5-20s(-1)), particle size (74-88, 150-180 and 250-425 mu m), temperature (13-70 degrees C) and chlorination time (0-18000 s) were studied. It is shown that the amount of chlorine uptake of both coals increased with decreasing particle size and increasing temperature.