United States Patent: 4447310
We have previously cited the Coal-to-Liquid conversion accomplishments of Mobil Oil Corporation scientist Frank Derbyshire, who, subsequent to his career at Mobil, continued his work at, and became Director of, the University of Kentucky's Center for Applied Energy Research.
We have also frequently made reference to ExxonMobil's MTG(r), methanol-to-gasoline, technology, always asserting that ExxonMobil posited the Methanol to be made from Coal.
Herein, via two links, one above and another following, and two excerpts, both appended, we submit proof of that assertion.
First, from the above link, we present, from Mobil, prior to their merger with Exxon, excerpts of:
"United States Patent 4,447,310 - Production of Distillates ... Through Methanol to Gasoline
Date; May 8, 1984
Inventor: Frank Derbyshire and Darrell Whitehurst, NJ
Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation, NY
Abstract: A process for producing a wide slate of fuel products from coal is provided by integrating a methanol-to-gasoline conversion process with coal liquefaction and coal gasification. The coal liquefaction comprises contacting the coal with a solvent under supercritical conditions whereby a dense-gas phase solvent extracts from the coal a hydrogen-rich extract which can be upgraded to produce a distillate stream. The remaining coal is gasified under oxidation conditions to produce a synthesis gas which is converted to methanol. The methanol is converted to gasoline by contact with a zeolite catalyst. Solvent for coal extraction is process derived from the upgraded distillate fraction or gasoline fraction of the methanol-to-gasoline conversion.
Claims: An integrated process for the conversion of solid coal to a wide slate of fuel products comprising: extracting a portion of said coal by contacting said coal with an extraction solvent under supercritical conditions of temperature and pressure whereby said solvent is converted to a dense-gas phase capable of dissolving the coal, separating said solvent and a hydrogen-rich liquid coal extract, said coal extract having a hydrogen concentration greater than said solid coal, a portion of said solid coal remaining an unsolvated, solid coal residue, upgrading at least a portion of said coal extract in the presence of hydrogen to produce a plurality of upgraded fuel products, gasifying said residue under oxidizing conditions to produce a synthesis gas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide, shifting the hydrogen to carbon monoxide ratio of a portion of said synthesis gas to produce a hydrogen-enriched gas, combining said hydrogen-enriched gas with said synthesis gas, converting said combined gas to methanol, passing at least a portion of said methanol in contact with a catalyst capable of converting said methanol to gasoline products and recycling at least a portion of said gasoline products for use as said extraction solvent."
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There is a lot more to it, of course, including the use, as we have previously documented to be feasible, of internally-recycled primary Coal-derived liquids as Hydrogen-donor solvents.
And, another feature of Mobil's invention, which we have referenced to be practical from other sources, is the apparent combination of direct and indirect conversion techniques to extract as much Carbon from the Coal as possible.
We have also, in the course of our reportage, documented the development by Exxon, again pre-merger, of a variety of energy conversion technologies; and, we have intimated that Exxon's and Mobil's concurrent interest in Coal liquefaction techniques might even have been a primary motivator for their merger.
As additional circumstantial evidence, we present the attached and following United States Patent, awarded, again pre-merger, to Exxon:
United States Patent: 4348486
"United States Patent 4,348,486 - Production of Methanol via Catalytic Coal Gasification
Date: September 7, 1982
Inventor: William Calvin, et. al., NJ
Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering, NJ
Abstract: Methanol is produced by gasifying a carbonaceous feed material with steam in the presence of a carbon-alkali metal catalyst and added hydrogen and carbon monoxide at a temperature between about 1000 degree F and about 1500 degree F and at a pressure in excess of about 100 psia to produce a raw product gas comprising methane, steam, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide; withdrawing the raw product gas from the gasifier and treating it for the removal of steam, particulates, hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide to produce a treated gas containing primarily carbon monoxide, hydrogen and methane; separating the treated gas into a methane-rich gas stream and a gas stream containing primarily carbon monoxide and hydrogen; passing the methane-rich gas stream to a steam reforming furnace wherein a portion of the methane is reacted with steam to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide which is then passed from the steam reforming furnace into the gasifier; passing the gas stream containing primarily carbon monoxide and hydrogen to a methanol synthesis reactor where the carbon monoxide is reacted with the hydrogen in the presence of a methanol synthesis catalyst to form methanol; recovering methanol product from the effluent exiting the methanol synthesis reactor thereby leaving a gas comprised of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide; and recycling at least a portion of this gas to the separation step of the process.
Claims: A process for the production of methanol from a carbonaceous feed material .... wherein said carbonaceous feed material comprises coal.
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It will be apparent from the foregoing that the invention provides a process for producing methanol via the catalytic gasification of coal and similar carbonaceous feed materials. The process of the invention has advantages over conventional methanol synthesis processes in that it results in higher yields of methanol without sacrificing overall process efficiency."
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That, we would think, should be sufficient extract. However, the full patent description includes, again as we have reported to be practical, the reclamation of heat energy generated during certain portions of the reaction sequence to help drive other segments of the total process; with subsequent cost-saving energy efficiencies.
We can efficiently convert Coal into Methanol. We can efficiently convert Methanol into Gasoline.
Moreover, we remind you: As per our dispatch of April 18, 2010, "WV DuPont Patents CO2+CH4=Methanol", disclosing "United States Patent 3,763,205 - Methanol Process with Recycle", a West Virginia scientist, Ralph Green, in the employ of DuPont, developed and patented, in 1973, a technology wherein Carbon Dioxide can be reacted with Methane, which itself can be synthesized, by utilizing the Sabatier technique, from Carbon Dioxide; or, through steam-gasification, from Coal, to produce Methanol.
There may be great opportunity to harness Coal Liquefaction technology to both free us from economic enslavement to unfriendly overseas oil powers and spare us from, if not genuine environmental effects, then at least the genuine concerns felt by environmentalists, who are still United States citizens.
