Tow-step extraction of Upper Freeport (UF) coal, i.e. exhaustive extraction with N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) solvent and subsequent extraction with the CS2/NMP mixed solvent (1: 1 by volume) with or without additive was compared with the direct extraction of UF coal with the CS2/NMP mixed solvent (1: 1 by volume) with or without additive. It was found that there is almost no difference of extraction yields between the two-step extraction and direct extraction with or without additive. The result show that NMP can only give external extraction to extract the outside fractions of coal particles, and this will not cause the new aggregation formed in the coal molecules. The interactions between coal molecule and additive are responsible for the extraction yield enhancement by additive. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.