Production of hydrocarbon synthesis gas from coal
Our own United States Government, well more than half a century ago, confirmed what we have previously documented from other credible sources:
Not only can Coal be efficiently converted into liquid and gaseous hydrocarbon fuels, but, any carbonaceous residues, left over by an initial process of Coal conversion, can themselves be further treated to extract even more hydrocarbon values.
Comment follows excerpts from:
"United States Patent 2,634,286 - Hydrocarbon Synthesis Gas from Coal
Date: April, 1953
Inventors: Martin Elliott, et. al., Pittsburgh, PA
Assignee: The United States of America
Abstract: This invention relates to the production of synthesis gas and more particularly to the production of a low-sulfur content mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen by gasifying the char obtained as a byproduct of the direct hydrogenation of coal ... .
(Char) is formed in substantial amounts (through the process of) copending application Serial No. 120,584 filed October, 1949, on the Hydrogenation of Coal.
(We are uncertain which of the several 1940's-1950's era USBM Coal conversion patents, there are more than a few, Elliott, et. al., refer to. We have previously reported on several, including, for instance, United States Patent 2,464,271 - "Coal Liquefaction by Hydrogenation"; March, 1949; by Henry Storch, et. al., Pittsburgh; assigned to the US Secretary of the Interior. - JtM)
It has now been found that this char may be obtained from the hydrogenation reaction zone in a condition that renders it eminently suited for the production of low sulfur content synthesis gas (and that) the hydrogen-carbon monoxide mixture produced by the gasification of this char with steam according to the usual water gas procedure contains a correspondingly small amount of sulfur compounds.
The low-sulfur content synthesis gas produced by gasification of this low-sulfur content char will find one of it's most advantageous uses in processes such as the Fischer-Tropsch ... to form liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons."
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We're not competent or qualified to comment on the technical aspects of the process described herein.
However, it complies with other, earlier of our documented reports, wherein carbonaceous residues, resulting from either direct or indirect Coal conversion processes, can be further treated, by corresponding indirect or direct processes, and thereby generate even more valuable products, such as "liquid ... hydrocarbons".
