PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN VIA THE STEAM-IRON PROCESS UTILIZING DUAL SOLIDS RECYCLE
As you should, from our posts, by now know, supplemental Hydrogen, from one source or another, is required in processes intended to efficiently and thoroughly convert Coal into gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons.
You should also now be aware that our local Consolidation Coal Company, prior to their unfortunate assimilation by Continental Oil, devoted considerable productive effort, throughout the 1960's and 1970's, into developing practical Coal conversion technologies.
And, as part of that effort, they did address the issue of supplemental Hydrogen, as witness our reports last month of their US Patents 3,188,179 and 3,115,394; both of which disclose details of how the Hydrogen required to hydrogenate liquids and gases generated from Coal could be produced at relatively low cost, as an integral function of the overall Coal conversion process.
Herein, via the above link and attached file, we see that they continued to focus on that issue, and developed even better ways in which Hydrogen could be generated for use in the hydrogenation of Coal-derived products.
Comment follows excerpts from:
"United States Patent 3,442,619 - Production of Hydrogen via the Steam-Iron Process
Date: May, 1969
Inventor: Jack Huebler, et. al., Illinois
Assignee: Consolidation Coal Company, Pittsburgh
Abstract: An improved process for making hydrogen by the steam-iron reaction ... . This invention relates to the production of hydrogen and steam-hydrogen mixtures for use in synthesis processes.
This process is for the production of gas mixtures containing primarily H2, CO, and mixtures thereof.
(Your basic, Hydrogen-enriched hydrocarbon synthesis gas, in other words.)
In the process of this invention, hydrogen is produced by oxidation of reduced iron solids by steam.
(The needed) reducing gas can be obtained from ... coal.
We have also found that the addition of sulfur-containing compounds ... is beneficial.
Claims: A process for producing hydrogen ... ."
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Interestingly, "Coal" is mentioned only twice in the entire patent document, and we've reproduced both of it's appearances, above.
But, since it is Consolidation Coal Company who acquired the rights to this technology, from inventors we presume to have been not employed by Consol, for the production of Hydrogen, to "use in synthesis processes"; we can all safely surmise what sort of "synthesis processes" the Hydrogen, produced using a "reducing gas ... obtained from ... coal", wherein "sulfur-containing compounds" are pretty much okay, might have been intended for use in.
As we have documented, and as we will further document, Consol did devote, as part of their overall Coal conversion development plan, considerable effort into refining technologies for the production of Hydrogen, so that carbonaceous products, derived from Coal, could be more efficiently hydrogenated in the synthesis of hydrocarbon liquids and gases.
