CATALYTIC HYDROGENATION OF COAL WITH WATER RECYCLE
Herein, again from Exxon's precedent company, we present further documentation of two facts we believe should, by now, be well-established for our readers:
Primary and long-known Coal oils, or Coal "tars", can serve as agents of liquefaction and hydrogenation for raw Coal.
And, Water can be utilized in the Coal liquefaction process to improve the hydrogenation of Coal into hydrocarbons, thereby lessening the need for any added elemental Hydrogen, with it's associated expense.
Comment follows excerpts from:
"United States Patent 3,488,280 - Catalytic Hydrogenation of Coal with Water
Date: January, 1970
Inventor: Bernard Schulman
Assignee: Esso Research and Engineering Company
Abstract: The hydrogenation of coal is enhanced in both reaction conversion and selectivity by maintaining in the reaction zone from 0.05 and 0.30 pound of water per pound of coal.
Background: The present invention relates to the ... hydrogenation of coal (wherein) a greater quantity of liquid products is obtained at a lower hydrogen consumption.
Summary: The present invention comprises the introduction and maintenance of water in a catalytic hydrogenation zone wherein solid coal (is reacted).
The solvent which is used... is preferably a hydrogen-donor solvent such as tetralin or partially hydrogenated ... anthracene.
Such a solvent may be obtained by hydrogenation of the hydrocracked liquid products of this reaction.
It has been found that ... the use of water does tend to increase the reactivity of coal so that higher conversion can be obtained with a greater selectivity to the production of heavier liquids and a concomitant reduction in the amount of hydrogen which is consumed."
-----------
In sum, a primary Coal oil, such as Anthracene, can be hydrogenated and made to serve as an agent of dissolution for raw Coal; and, plain old Water can reduce "the amount of hydrogen" with it's associated expense, which might be needed.
And, we supposedly knew all of that, as herein officially, forty years ago - well before we suffered any OPEC oil embargoes, fought any Persian Gulf wars, or transferred so much of our domestic wealth overseas in exchange for imported oil.
Well, better late than never, they say.
But, if We the People don't get the chance to learn about it, it won't get any "better" - just later.
