We long ago documented that some "indirect" processes for the conversion of Coal into liquid hydrocarbons, wherein Coal is first converted into a synthesis gas, and which "syngas" is then catalytically condensed into liquid fuels, resulted in the co-production of some greater or lesser amount of a heavy hydrocarbon residue, often referred to as "Fischer-Tropsch wax".
We also reported that such "wax" could be further processed and refined, and made to produce even more liquid hydrocarbons.
Moreover, we have also presented evidence that Coal can be converted not just into liquid fuels, but into the full range of products we now rely on unreliable foreign sources of conventional petroleum for the supply of.
Such general-purpose petroleum product replacement, via processing of CoalTL wax residue, is the focus of the Exxon technology we report herein.
Brief comment follows excerpts from the enclosed link to:
"United States Patent 5,290,426 - High Porosity ... Catalyst and its Use
Date: March, 1994
Inventor: Ian Cody, et. al., CA and LA
Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company, NJ
Abstract: A novel, high porosity, high surface area catalyst is disclosed which is useful in wax isomerization processes, especially for the production of high viscosity index, low pour point lubricating oil base stocks or blending stocks.
Claims: A process for the catalytic isomerization of wax into liquid products of high viscosity index and low pour point in high yield comprising passing wax over a high porosity, high surface area catalyst ... .
Description and Backround: A novel, high porosity, high surface area catalyst is disclosed which is useful in wax isomerization processes, especially for the production of high viscosity index, low pour point lubricating oil base stocks or blending stocks. ... The catalyst isomerizes wax in high yield into liquid products, preferably high viscosity index, low pour point lube oil base stocks and blending stocks.
(Other US Patents teach) wax isomerization involving the maximization of jet fuel (and) the production of lubricating oil ... .
(The) present invention can produce high yields (from) a synthetic Fischer-Tropsch wax.
The catalysts of the present invention are useful for isomerizing wax to liquid products. The wax which is isomerized can be any natural petroleum wax identified as slack wax, recovered by the solvent dewaxing of petroleum hydrocarbon feeds, or synthetic wax such as that obtained by the Fischer-Tropsch process.
Natural waxes ... can contain heteroatom compounds, that is compounds containing nitrogen and sulfur. Such heteroatom compounds are known to deactivate noble metal containing isomerization catalysts. Before isomerizing such heteroatom containing wax feeds it is necessary to reduce the sulfur and nitrogen content of the feed. These heteroatom containing wax feeds should be hydrotreated to reduce the level of heteroatom compounds to levels commonly accepted in the industry as tolerable for feeds to be exposed to isomerization catalysts.
As previously stated, synthetic waxes such as those obtained from Fischer-Tropsch synthesis processes (i.e., from Coal, in other words. - JtM) can also be used as the wax feed to the isomerization process. Because such waxes are usually free of sulfur and nitrogen compounds, hydrotreating to remove S and N is not needed."
------------
For the sake of integrity, we must note that, as in other, similar oil industry inventions centered obviously on the products of Coal conversion, the naughty word "Coal" isn't mentioned specifically, even once, in the course of Exxon's full Disclosure.
But, Exxon does include a hefty list of prior art references, some which we have already reported for you, with others to follow, which most definitelydo specify Coal as the basic raw material from which the byproduct "synthetic waxes such as those obtained from Fischer-Tropsch synthesis processes", which, compared to similar "natural petroleum slack wax", are "usually free of sulfur and nitrogen compounds", are derived.
And, again, we can use those, we can confidently presume, Coal-derived, contaminant-free "synthetic waxes", via this Exxon technology, to manufacture a seemingly full range or versatile "lubricating oil base stocks or blending stocks".