We have noted, in the course of our reportage, that technologies for the conversion of Coal into liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons, suitable as direct replacements for those we now derive from petroleum, can be adapted so that Carbon-recycling and renewable organic materials of biologic origin can be included in the raw material feed.
Inclusion and use of such products not only recycles environmental Carbon, and offers the potential for profitable use of what might otherwise be waste materials, but also introduces an element of sustainability.
Mobil Oil Corporation, whose Coal conversion expertise we have extensively documented, spells all of that out quite clearly in the United States Patent we enclose herein.
One advance note: Mobil seems, in the full Disclosure, to focus on the use of petroleum refining by-products as the preferred materials to use as hydrogen-donor solvents in this process for the liquefaction of Coal and organic wastes.
They aren't needed, as the Disclosure also reveals in the following advance excerpt:
"A preferred type of liquefaction solvent is a thermally stable, polycyclic aromatic and hydroaromatic mixture which results from one or more petroleum refining operations, or is an indigenous liquid fraction which is recycled in the invention process. ... Materials ... which are derived from the invention process may also be employed as a part of the liquefaction solvent. ... a suitable liquefaction solvent (may consist of) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon constituents such as naphthalene, dimethylnaphthalene, anthracene, phenanthrene, fluorene, chrysene, pyrene, perylene, diphenyl, benzothiophene, tetralin, dihydronaphthalene, and the like."
"Naphthalene" and "anthracene", as above, are long-known primary Coal oils. "Tetralin", again as above, is, we believe, an hydrogenated variant of naphthalene, which we also believe to be specified by West Virginia University in their own "West Virginia Process" for the direct liquefaction of Coal.
As have documented in earlier reports, and as recorded by the West Virginia Coal Association, "tetralin" has also been named as a Hydrogen-donor solvent in other direct Coal liquefaction technologies, including in some World Patents being sought by entities in China.
In any case, "petroleum refining operations" are most definitely not needed to provide components of this Carbon liquefaction process. Petroleum is unnecessary since the solvent may be "derived from the invention process".
Further comment follows excerpts from:
"United States Patent 4,089,773 - Liquefaction of Solid Carbonaceous Materials
Date: May, 1978
Inventor: Wilton Espenscheid, NJ
Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation, NY
Abstract: This invention provides an improved process for solubilizing coal and other solid carbonaceous materials which involves heating a slurry of comminuted carbonaceous material and liquefaction solvent in contact with water, carbon monoxide, and a catalytic quantity of alkanol to produce a heavy oil or bitumen composition.
Claims: (A) process for dissolution of solid carbonaceous material ... wherein the solid carbonaceous material is coal (and/or) partly municipal refuse (and/or) sewage sludge (and/or) cellulosic waste.
Background: It is known that coal and wood can be liquified (and because) of compelling economic factors, the technology of coal liquefaction and gasification has been expanding at an accelerated pace. ... Also receiving high priority attention is the management of municipal, industrial and agricultural solid organic wastes, for reasons of environmental protection and natural resource conservation.
The carbonaceous materials which are amenable to the present invention solubilization process include bituminous and sub-bituminous types of coal ... . The present invention process is (also) generally applicable to solid carbonaceous materials such as wood and other forms of cellulosics, scrap plastics and rubbers, textile cuttings, and the like (which) are readily available in abundant supply in the form of accumulated municipal, industrial and agricultural waste products. Cellulosic agricultural wastes are derived in the form of wheat straw, rice straw, rye straw, maize husks and stalks, sugar cane bagasse, and the like. Municipal waste organic materials include refuse and sewage sludge.
Accordingly, it is a main object of this invention to provide an improved method for converting solid carbonaceous materials into liquid derivatives having application as fuels.
It is another object of this invention to convert coal into a denitrified and desulfurized synthetic crude oil."
