The oxidation of coal in supercritical water was explored by using H2O2 as the oxidant. The sulfur-containing components in the effluents were identified. The experiments, which were conducted in a bench scale semi-continuous Supercritical Water Oxidation (SCWO) installation, indicated that the sulfur contained in coal could be gradually oxidized to sulfate in supercritical water medium. The main species containing sulfur in the effluents of coal SCWO were determined as sulfide, thiosulfate, sulfite and sulfate, in which thiosulfate and sulfate were predominant. The effects of the reaction temperature and time on the sulfur transformations during SCWO of coal were also investigated. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.