The report we enclose in this dispatch summarizes some Coal liquefaction development work performed by the Colorado School of Mines, for the United States Government.
Although they make reference to other, similar work performed with lignite, Colorado employed, in their experiments, bituminous Coal originating from Consol's Ireland Mine, which we believe is, or was, located in, or near, West Virginia's northern panhandle, where it produced Coal from the Pittsburgh Seam.
We keep our excerpts brief since the full report is technically dense, and is focused on laboratory experiments centered only on one potential component of a Coal liquefaction-hydrogenation system; which is: how the water gas shift reaction, which we have earlier described, could be integrated into a Coal conversion process to generate additional Hydrogen.
Such Hydrogen was of interest to these Colorado researchers not only because it could aid in the further hydrogenation of Coal liquids, but also because it could be directed to the removal of Sulfur.
Using the water gas shift, or "WGS", reaction, though, has the downside of generating by-product CO2; although, as detailed in the full report, not that much Hydrogen is actually required, and the overall effect could be interpreted as being minimal.
The report needs to be read carefully, since the technical data presented, and the way the data are presented, could lead to misleading, and somewhat negative, impressions.
Keep this in mind, as excerpted from one isolated passage: "Coal conversions" up to "99% on a moisture and ash free basis" can be achieved.
Also, observe that the Coal was already, in essence, liquefied for Colorado's hydrogenation experiments through dissolution in the long-known Coal oil, Creosote.
The whole work was, it seems, simply experimentation with the refining of Coal liquids; and, it could, we submit and suggest, more than likely have been done much more effectively, and, no doubt, has been done, had even by the time of this work been done, by other entities.
As we explain in appended comments following brief excerpts from:
"Carbon Monoxide-Steam Coal Liquefaction in a Batch Reactor
Date: circa April, 1975
Authors: J.G. Handwerk, et. al.
Affiliation: Petroleum Refining Department, Colorado School of Mines
This study was performed with the financial support of the Office of Coal Research, United States Department of the Interior.
Abstract: The CO-Steam process of Coal liquefaction was studied ... to determine the effects of temperature and pressure on the liquefaction and desulfurization of a high sulfur bituminous coal. The CO-steam process utilizes the shift reaction, which reacts water with carbon monoxide to form hydrogen and carbon dioxide as the source of hydrogen for hydrogenation and desulfurization.
The coal was (already!) dissolved in a creosote oil solvent before reaction.
Converting coal to a liquid generally requires the addition of hydrogen. (And) if the hydrogen content of the coal is increased by (only) 6 percent or more, light oils and gasoline are produced.
Carbon monoxide and water have been found to liquefy coal more completely than pure hydrogen ... .
Not only does carbon monoxide and water liquefy coal to a greater extent, but carbon monoxide is much cheaper and easier to obtain than hydrogen.
Conclusion: Conversion of bituminous coal to liquid was better than conversions reported in previous studies."
