In yet another example from the seemingly endless stream of US Government-verified technologies, developed by the companies that became ExxonMobil, for converting our abundant Coal into liquid hydrocarbon fuels, we see that Mobil scientists, fully three decades ago, specified precisely how we could make high-octane, high-quality Gasoline out of Coal.
We have cited both of the Mobil scientists named as the inventors herein previously.
Clarence Chang, especially, has an extensive paper trail of Coal conversion achievements it would benefit anyone truly interested in the topic to search.
Further comment follows excerpts from:
"United States Patent 4,076,761 - Process for the Manufacture of Gasoline
Date: February, 1978
Inventors: Clarence Chang, NJ, and Anthony Silvestri, PA
Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation, NY
Abstract: Synthesis gas comprising a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen is derived from fossil fuels and catalytically converted in a first reaction zone to a mixture of methanol and dimethyl ether which in turn is converted in a separate reaction zone ... into a high octane gasoline fraction, a light hydrocarbon gas fraction which may be liquefied and a hydrogen-rich gaseous by-product which is recycled to the conversion of fossil fuels to synthesis gas or may be otherwise used.
Claims: (The) process for manufacture of liquid hydrocarbon fuels boiling in the gasoline boiling range from coal which comprises converting the coal to a gaseous mixture of hydrogen and carbon oxides and converting said gaseous mixture to normally liquid hydrocarbons and oxygen-substituted hydrocarbons comprising methanol (with the) additional step of contacting ... said methanol with a catalytically active aluminosilicate zeolite ... (and recovering) liquid hydrocarbons.
Description: This invention is concerned with a process for converting coal ... to high quality gasoline.
Summary: The conversion ... produces a sulfur-free, high quality gasoline ..., (a) minor fraction of valuable liquefiable petroleum gas (e.g. propane) and a little ... ethane and methane are produced. (The) total mixture may be separated into ... about 1% of "dry gas" comprising methane, ethane, and ethylene, a small fraction, suitably about 26%, of liquefiable petroleum gas comprising propane and butanes, and a major fraction, suitably the remainder of about 73%, of gasoline with a research octane number of at least about 100 without requiring the addition of lead.
The liquefiable petroleum gas may be sold as a sulfur-free fuel, or it may be recycled to the gasification plant. In the latter case it need not be first separated from the "dry gas" fraction. The dry gas fraction may be burned as fuel or sold as such but preferably it is recycled to the fossil fuel gasification operation. Hydrogen is sometimes produced in the second, or aromatization, reaction zone. This hydrogen is a valuable recycle product which can be most useful in carbon oxide hydrogenation."
The liquefiable petroleum gas may be sold as a sulfur-free fuel, or it may be recycled to the gasification plant. In the latter case it need not be first separated from the "dry gas" fraction. The dry gas fraction may be burned as fuel or sold as such but preferably it is recycled to the fossil fuel gasification operation. Hydrogen is sometimes produced in the second, or aromatization, reaction zone. This hydrogen is a valuable recycle product which can be most useful in carbon oxide hydrogenation."
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Note that, reflective of earlier reports we have documented, elemental Hydrogen, as above, can sometimes be generated in excess in Coal conversion processes; and, in general terms, Hydrogen can be "useful in carbon oxide hydrogenation".
Those implications aside, significant amounts of propane and butane are also generated.
The bottom line, however, is:
Coal can, as herein confirmed by the US Government, be converted into 100-Octane lead-free Gasoline.