We've told you about research in other places around the world into optimizing the process of converting our abundant coal into much-needed liquid fuels by combining coal with waste plastic as a raw material for the fuel-making process.
Such research has been conducted in the US, as well, and we present the enclosed report as evidence of that fact.
As in other reports we've submitted, it's important, we think, to note that these Pittsburgh, PA, researchers describe synergies realized by combining coal with waste plastics to synthesize liquid fuels.
The excerpt:
"Investigation of first stage liquefaction of coal with model plastic waste mixtures
Author(s): Rothenberger, K.S., et. al., Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center; 1995
As part of the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) Fossil Energy program, the Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center (PETC) recently initiated research in coal-waste coprocessing. Coal-waste coprocessing is conversion to liquid feedstocks of a combination of any or all of the following: coal, rubber, plastics, heavy oil, and waste oil. The current effort is on the combined processing of coal, waste oil, and plastics. One reason commonly cited for coprocessing of coal and plastic materials is the higher hydrogen-to-carbon ratio in most plastics as compared to coal, which is hydrogen deficient relative to the petroleum-like liquids desired as products. Furthermore, the free radicals which are present in coal and believed to be produced in the early stages of coal dissolution could aid in the breakdown of plastic polymers. In this study, screening tests have been conducted in microautoclave reactors, 1-L semi-batch stirred autoclave reactors, and a small-scale continuous unit. All tests employed Black Thunder subbituminous coal with plastic waste streams containing polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in various combinations and proportions. The materials and conditions were chosen to be compatible with those being investigated by other participants in the USDOE Fossil Energy program, including the proof-of-concept (POC) scale plant at Hydrocarbon Research, Inc. (HRI) in Princeton, NJ. Due to the rapidly evolving nature of the coal-waste coprocessing initiative, many of the experiments reported here were designed to identify potential problem areas for scheduled runs on larger units rather than to systematically map out the chemistry involved with coliquefaction of coal and plastic materials. However, insights into both chemistry and operability of coal-waste coprocessing can be gained from the data."
We had earlier reported to you the existence of the HRI "proof-of-concept" plant in New Jersey, and remain alert for published results of the work performed there. However, like much else about coal-to-liquid research, and actual commercial operations, that are documented to have been undertaken in the United States, published results, for whatever reason, are difficult to find. We'll try to remain positive and refrain from offering distractive speculation as to why that might be. You can draw your own conclusions.
But, as in the other, international, research we've reported, this Pittsburgh study confirms: Coal and waste plastics can be converted together into liquid fuels, thus utilizing our most abundant natural resource to manufacture something we desperately need while consuming some persistent environmental pollutants at the same time.