Li Wang and Peng Chen
Faculty of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, No. 17, Shenglizhuang Road, Jinan 250031, PR China
Beijing Research Institute of Coal Chemistry, China Coal Research Institute, Beijing 100013, PR China
Abstract
Polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS), etc. have been successfully converted to oil under typical direct liquefaction conditions with Chinese coal. A series of liquefaction experiments were run using ground coal and plastic waste, individually and in combination. Results on individual plastics showed that high density PE (HDPE) was by far the most difficult of the model plastics to convert, higher conversions could be obtained with higher temperatures. Co-liquefaction experiments were performed on coal–plastic mixtures (usually 1:1 mixtures) using a Chinese Xianfeng lignite with the fly ash of molybdenum concentrates calcined as catalyst. The oil yields except Xianfeng lignite–HDPE co-liquefaction were as high as 60.3–78.1%, while the total conversions reached levels of over 95%. Anyway, oil yields for Chinese coal–plastic co-liquefaction were higher, typically by 5.1–22.6%, than the average of the oil yields for the coal and plastic alone, hydrogen consumption was also reduced by 7.7–17.9%, implying synergistic effects in co-liquefaction reaction of Chinese coal and waste plastics (WP)."
Interesting, isn't it, that Chinese scientists can casually refer to "typical" coal "liquefaction conditions"? Our guess is that your average UMWA member, or WV citizen, wouldn't be so jaded as to find the concept so routine as to be "typical".
As with coal and cellulose co-liquefaction results we've earlier reported, "total conversions reached levels of over 95%" when coal was combined with certain waste plastics. And, "oil yields" for Chinese coal–plastic co-liquefaction were significantly higher "than the average of the oil yields for the coal and plastic alone".
Moreover, the need for supplemental hydrogen, presumably from a hydrogen-donor solvent, as in our previous posts regarding China's patent applications for what we believe to be a pirated version of the West Virginia Process for direct coal liquefaction, which uses such a solvent, most commonly referred to by it's abbreviated name, Tetralin, "was also reduced".
In any case, this research confirms earlier reports we've made, drawn from other sources. Waste plastic can donate hydrogen to a coal liquefaction process, and thereby reduce the need for supplemental hydrogen, increase oil yields by more than 20%, and, again, achieve "total conversions" into liquids of "over 95%".
By combining certain waste plastics with coal, nearly 100% of the total mass can be converted into liquid hydrocarbons.
Not bad.