Via separate dispatch today, we are sending along report of "United States Patent 2,719,130 - Synthesis Gas Manufacture" which was assigned in 1955 to Phillips Petroleum Company, and which discloses multiple reaction pathways - utilizing Coal, Carbon Dioxide, Methane and/or Steam - for the economical production of a synthesis gas suitable for Fischer-Tropsch conversion into liquid hydrocarbons.
Herein, we see that, nearly three decades later, Exxon, with US Government certification of the fact, devised an improved, and much less expensive, set of chemical promoters, for such combined hydrocarbon synthesis gas production systems; inexpensive chemicals that made those processes more efficient and economical.
Comment follows excerpts from:
"United States Patent 4,318,712 - Catalytic Coal Gasification Process
Date: March, 1982
Inventors: Robert Lang and Joanne Pabst, Texas
Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering, NJ
Abstract: A carbonaceous feed material, a potassium compound having a relatively poor catalytic activity as compared to that of potassium carbonate, and a sodium or lithium salt are introduced into a gasification reactor. The carbonaceous material is then gasified in the presence of the added potassium and sodium or lithium constituents. The added sodium or lithium salt apparently activates the relatively noncatalytic potassium compound thereby producing a substantial catalytic effect on the gasification reactions. In general, activation of the noncatalytic potassium compound will take place when the sodium or lithium compound introduced into the reactor is either a salt of a weak acid or a salt of a strong acid that is converted to a sodium or lithium salt of a weak acid in the reactor at gasification conditions.
Claims: A process for the catalytic steam gasification of coal .... .
The process ... is one for the gasification of bituminous coal, subbituminous coal, lignite, organic waste materials or similar carbonaceous solids in the presence of added sodium and potassium compounds. It will be understood that the invention ... may be employed in ... gasification operations ... to promote the reaction of steam, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, or a similar gasification agent with (carbon) ... .
As a result, the overall cost of the product gas may be substantially reduced.
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As noted above, the full disclosure reveals that, in addition to "bituminous coal", etc., the process may be employed on a variety of carbon-containing, "organic waste" materials, thus enhancing the carbon-recycling nature of the technology, above and beyond the fact that CO2 itself can be used as a "gasification agent" for the Coal, along with Steam.
In truth, Exxon doesn't discuss what such a "product gas", derived from Coal, Carbon Dioxide and Steam, might be used for - although the phrase "Fischer-Tropsch process" leaps to our minds.
And, perhaps key is the fact that, by the process of this invention, not only can CO2 be productively recycled, through reactions with Coal, "the overall cost of the product gas may be substantially reduced".