The present study focused on the utilization of molten carbonate salts as a media for the pyrolysis process to produce oil from low-rank coal. A ternary eutectic mix of alkali carbonate salts (Li2CO3, Na2CO3, and K2CO3) was used to pyrolyze two kinds of low-rank coals. The effect of molten salt to the reactivity of coal was investigated by comparing the thermal decomposition profile of coal before and after it was mixed with the molten salt. The oil yield and its composition were also investigated. The results showed that the reactivity of the coal increased when the pyrolysis was performed in the molten salt. The molten salt increased the pyrolysis conversion about 16.5% and 16.4% for Loy yang and Xinghe coals, respectively, when they were pyrolyzed at 600 degrees C. The use of molten salt increased the oil yield since it can rapidly heat the coal to make the pyrolysis occur effectively. The total hydrocarbon content in the oil also increased about 13.6% and 11.0% for Loy yang and Xinghe coals, respectively. However, the molten carbonate salts failed to retain the sulfuric compound during the pyrolysis period due to the short residence time of oil in the molten salt phase. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.