The company, Hydrocarbon Research, Inc, (HRI) behind this coal-plastic co-liquefaction development was, in the 1970's and ' 80's, the technical contractor in the USDOE's "H-Coal" coal liquefaction pilot plant in Catlettsburg, Kentucky, wherein their managing partners were, unfortunately, some Big Oil stalwarts, such as Mobil and Ashland.
They have since left New Jersey, for Utah, and changed their name - to Headwaters, which might be familiar to some of our readers from earlier posts. More on them will follow.
For now, we submit this excerpt from the enclosed link which confirms, as we have reported from numerous other sources, that coal can be synergistically combined with scrapped tires and waste plastics to manufacture liquid fuels, in a process made more efficient by the various properties of the components.
The excerpt:
"Studies in coal/waste coprocessing at Hydrocarbon Research, Inc
Pradhan, V.R.; Comolli, A.G.; Lee, L.K.T.; Stalzer, R.H.
Source: American Chemical Society, Division of Fuel Chemistry; Journal Volume: 40; Journal Issue: 1; Conference: 209. American Chemical Society (ACS) national meeting, Anaheim, CA (United States), 2-6 Apr 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995
Abstract:
The co-liquefaction of waste plastics with coal and waste tire rubber with coal was successfully demonstrated at a combined processing rate of 3 TPD at the Proof-of-Concept facility of Hydrocarbon Research, Inc. in Lawrenceville, N.J. The POC Program is jointly funded by the U.S. DOE, Hydrocarbon Research, Inc., and Kerr McGee Corporation. A total of 12 tons of plastics & coal and 5 tons of waste rubber tire & coal were processed to produce clean light distillates (IBP-343{degrees}C) with less than 40 ppm of nitrogen and 20 ppm of sulfur. Coal conversion was well maintained (92 W% maf) and nearly complete conversion of the organic waste to oils was achieved (65 W%+ maf distillate yields). Both the plastics and rubber contributed hydrogen to the liquefaction thereby reducing the hydrogen consumption by as much as 2 W% of the maf feed. This has a direct impact on reducing the cost of premium fuels from coal. Co-liquefaction of waste organic materials with coals provides for the recovery and recycle of waste materials back into the economy as premium fuels and feedstocks for petrochemicals. A concerted effort is underway to optimize the process to produce more value-added products with improved energy efficiency."
In closing, we'll note a few things:
First, people might not have heard of HRI, but the USDOE and Kerr-McGee, and the American Chemical Society, are not speculative, start-up enterprises. And, Kerr-McGee, especially, would not have involved themselves had there been nothing to it.
Most importantly, though, note the statement: "The co-liquefaction of waste plastics with coal and waste tire rubber with coal was successfully demonstrated".
If it was "successfully demonstrated", why aren't we now just "successfully" doing it?