Now posted on the WV Coal Association's web site, as US Gov Pays for Even More Exxon CoalTL, is our earlier report concerning United States Patent: 4311578, wherein it was disclosed that, via Contract Number EF-77-A-01-2893, awarded by the U.S. Energy Research and Development "Association", now the U.S. Department of Energy, Exxon had developed a technology for, as they put it, "An improved process for the liquefaction of solid carbonaceous materials", for which, in 1982, they were awarded US Patent 4311578.
As it happens, that US Government-financed, and now Exxon-owned, Coal liquefaction technology was actually only an echo of similar machinations that had been orchestrated several years prior.
The initial link in this dispatch connects with yet another US Patent awarded to Exxon, in 1978, for yet another Coal conversion process. As you will see again in our more extended excerpts, the full Disclosure reveals this now almost-predictable, but still saddening fact, as extracted following:
"The Government of the United States of America has rights in this invention pursuant to Contract No. E(49-18)-2353 awarded by the U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration."
Perhaps of more, and practical, importance, though, is that this Exxon technology, which we paid them to develop, confirms earlier of our reports concerning the fact, to us a very important fact, that carbonaceous residues left by an initial Coal conversion can be further processed to yield even more hydrocarbon values.
In one specific instance we have previously used as illustration, since it is well-documented, the FMC Corporation, in a US Government-sponsored demonstration of indirect Coal conversion technology, in Princeton, NJ - with the unfortunate participation, as we documented, of at least one oil company, whose fiduciary interests, we suspect, weren't coincident with the best interests of the average US Coal Country citizen - carbonaceous residues left by an initial gasification of Coal, performed to generate hydrocarbon synthesis gas, were sent all the way to Spain for further extraction and conversion into liquids via use of the solvent, Tetralin, which is itself a derivative of the primary Coal oil, or tar, Naphthalene.
Conversely, other reports we've provided indicate that direct Coal conversion processes, wherein solvents such as Naphthalene or Tetralin were used to extract Carbon and Hydrocarbon values from raw Coal, in an initial direct liquefaction process, also resulted in co-production of a carbonaceous residue that could be further processed, but via indirect gasification techniques, in order the extract further Carbon values in the form of mixed gasses suitable for catalytic condensation into liquid hydrocarbons.
The United States Patent, issued again to Exxon, we enclose, via the initial link, in this dispatch is further, and quite plain, confirmation of that fact.
In this case, the described process is simple enough in concept; but, we found it necessary to read carefully to discern the essence of the thing, and we urge the same of anyone genuinely interested.
Additional comment, and a highlight verifying earlier reports, follows rather lengthy excerpts from:
"United States Patent 4,125,452 - Integrated Coal Liquefaction Process
Date: November, 1978
Inventor: Edward Effron, NJ
Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company, NJ
Abstract: In a process for the liquefaction of coal in which coal liquids containing phenols and other oxygenated compounds are produced during the liquefaction step and later hydrogenated, oxygenated compounds are removed from at least part of the coal liquids in the naphtha and gas oil boiling range prior to the hydrogenation step and employed as a feed stream for the manufacture of a synthesis gas or for other purposes.
Government Interests: The Government of the United States of America has rights in this invention pursuant to Contract No. E(49-18)-2353 awarded by the U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration.
Claims: In a process wherein coal or similar carbonaceous solids containing combined oxygen are liquefied at elevated temperature and pressure in a liquefaction zone in the presence of a hydrocarbon solvent to produce coal liquids and at least part of said coal liquids are thereafter hydrogenated in a catalytic hydrogenation zone, the improvement which comprises recovering coal liquids from said liquefaction zone, extracting at least part of the recovered coal liquids with an aqueous solvent in which oxygenated compounds formed during liquefaction are soluble to produce a hydrocarbon raffinate phase and an aqueous extract phase containing said oxygenated compounds, hydrogenating at least part of said raffinate phase in said hydrogenation zone, and gasifying said oxygenated compounds contained in said extract phase to produce a synthesis gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide.
2. A process as defined by claim 1 wherein said oxygenated compounds are gasified by reacting said compounds with steam and oxygen in a partial oxidation zone.
3. A process as defined by claim 1 wherein said oxygenated compounds are gasified by reacting said compounds with steam in a catalytic steam reforming zone.
4. A process as defined by claim 1 wherein said oxygenated compounds are combined with a hydrocarbon feed and gasified.
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7. A process as defined by claim 1 wherein naphtha boiling range hydrocarbons produced during liquefaction are separately extracted with water to produce an aqueous stream containing oxygenated materials removed from said naphtha boiling range hydrocarbons, said aqueous stream is combined with said aqueous extract phase, and oxygenated compounds contained in the combined stream are gasified to produce a synthesis gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide.
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12. A process as defined by claim 1 wherein said oxygenated compounds in said extract phase are recovered from said extract phase and thereafter gasified to produce said synthesis gas.
13. A process as defined by claim 4 wherein said hydrocarbon feed comprises liquefaction bottoms.
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15. A process as defined by claim 1 wherein said carbonaceous solids comprise coal and said hydrocarbon solvent is a hydrogen-donor solvent.
16. In a hydrogen-donor solvent coal liquefaction process wherein coal is liquefied .... liquid hydrocarbons in the hydrogen-donor solvent boiling range are recovered from the liquefaction zone effluent, and at least part of said liquid hydrocarbons are thereafter hydrogenated in a catalytic hydrogenation zone to produce hydrogen-donor solvent for recycle to the liquefaction zone ... .
Field and Background: This invention relates to the manufacture of synthetic fuels from coal and similar carbonaceous solids and is particularly concerned with integrated coal liquefaction processes in which the coal liquids produced by liquefaction are subsequently hydrogenated.
Processes for the liquefaction of coal and similar carbonaceous solids normally require contacting of the solid feed material with a hydrocarbon solvent and molecular hydrogen at elevated temperature and pressure to break down the complex high molecular weight starting material into lower molecular weight hydrocarbon liquids and gases. The most promising processes of this type are those carried out with a hydrogen-donor solvent which gives up hydrogen atoms for reaction with organic radicals liberated from coal or other feed material during the liquefaction step. In such processes, the hydrogen-donor solvent is subsequently regenerated in a downstream solvent hydrogenation step. Plants for the carrying out of processes of this type normally include facilities for generation of the needed molecular hydrogen by the gasification of heavy liquefaction bottoms produced in the liquefaction step, by the coking of liquefaction bottoms and subsequent gasification of the resultant coke, by the reforming of light hydrocarbon liquids and gases produced in the process, or by other means.
Summary: The present invention provides an improved process for the liquefaction of coal. "
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Thus, not only is a residual "raffinate" of "oxygenated compounds", after initial direct Coal liquefaction to obtain the bulk of hydrocarbon values, then "gasified ... with steam in a catalytic steam reforming zone" in order "to produce a synthesis gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide" which could then be catalytically condensed via, for instance, the Fischer-Tropsch reaction to form even more liquid hydrocarbons, but:
The initial Coal liquefaction solvent itself is derived from the process, as in, from above: "liquid hydrocarbons in the hydrogen-donor solvent boiling range are recovered from the liquefaction zone effluent ... (and) ... are thereafter hydrogenated in a catalytic hydrogenation zone to produce hydrogen-donor solvent for recycle to the liquefaction zone".
Further, in confirmation of other sources we have previously cited, any Hydrogen needed, for hydrogenation of the Carbon content of Coal, can be manufactured as one integral step, or more, in the overall process, as in: any "needed molecular hydrogen" can be obtained "by the gasification of heavy liquefaction bottoms produced in the liquefaction step, by the coking of liquefaction bottoms and subsequent gasification of the resultant coke, by the reforming of light hydrocarbon liquids and gases produced in the process, or by other means".
If Hydrogen is needed, in other words, we can get it from the CoalTL process itself.
So, all, or very nearly all, of the Carbon content in Coal can be recovered through a combination of processes; and, through hydrogenating reactions, directly or indirectly, with Steam and water, converted into hydrocarbons we now know from other sources to be suitable for further, conventional refining into direct replacements for the products we now derive from petroleum.
And, there is a corollary benefit:
Virtually no Carbon, as CO2 or otherwise, would, thus, be released into the environment from such an "Integrated Coal Liquefaction" facility itself.