We had thought that the Axis, pre-WWII, Coal conversion technology United States patents we discovered and reported to you were pretty nifty items, and, then, we discovered this gem.
In 1934, the Netherlands, home of Royal Dutch Shell, who, though they have, aside from some peat bogs, no domestic Coal reserves of their own, did possess, in the far-flung reaches of their empire, a lot of Coal.
And, they thought enough of it to develop a process wherein they, too, like Germany, could convert it into liquid hydrocarbon fuels.
Moreover, our own United States Government confirmed that they had, indeed, succeeded in making liquid hydrocarbon fuels out of Coal, as witnessed by excerpts, with comment appended, from the enclosed link to and attached file of:
"United States Patent 1,949,891 - Valuable Products from Coal
Date: March, 1934
Inventor: H.I. Waterman, Netherlands
Abstract: My invention relates to process for the manufacture of valuable products from ... coal, cellulose and the like.
It is known to treat carbonaceous materials with hydrogen or gases ... containing hydrogen ... to convert the initial materials into valuable liquid products.
The chief drawback of the processes of such prior proposals is that they all require relatively large quantities of hydrogen, the production of which is somewhat expensive.
The process according to my invention provides means whereby this drawback may be overcome.
Part of the oxygen (in the starting material) may ... combine with the hydrogen present to form water ... which, with carbon monoxide, yields hydrogen.
The hydrogen obtained in this way may serve for the hydrogenation of the carbon compounds."
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Truth to tell, their water gas process for Hydrogen production results in the co-production of Carbon Dioxide.
That might, or might not, be a bad thing. Carbon Dioxide, as we've been documenting in other of our posts, can be reclaimed and recycled through one of a number of processes into gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons.
Moreover, there are now available, as we have also documented in other of our reports, better and more economical means of producing Hydrogen - some of them practiced commercially by the petroleum industry in oil refineries to upgrade their products.
And, note as well that, as we have been able to consistently document from other reputable sources, Carbon-recycling materials, such as the botanical "cellulose" specified herein, can be combined with Coal in properly-designed Coal conversion technologies, for the synthesis of hydrocarbon fuels.
In any case, as early as 1934, in a nation with no domestic Coal deposits of commercial significance, it was recognized and confirmed that Coal could, indeed, be converted "into valuable liquid products".