The researchers studied how the amount of CO that can move through coal is related to the types of coal components present. They found that in low rank bituminous coal, the amount of CO diffusion is directly related to the vitrinite content and has a more significant impact from inertinite content. This means that the type of coal component influences how easily CO can move through the coal. The researchers used Quantum Mechanics software to analyze the data and provide a theoretical basis for understanding how CO moves through coal.