We have several times documented and referred to the operation of, decades ago, a Coal hydrogenation and conversion facility in South Charleston, WV, by the old Union Carbide Corporation, which has since been assimilated by Dow Chemical.
Herein, we see that one of Union Carbide's West Virginia scientists, in collaboration with others, developed a method which enables the further cleaning and refining of a hydrocarbon synthesis gas which, as they reveal, "can be produced by the partial oxidation or steam-reforming ... and ... gasification of coal".
Comment follows brief excerpts from:
"United States Patent 4,740,361 - Removing Metal Carbonyls from Gaseous Streams
Date: April, 1988
Inventor: Robert Heyd, Morgantown, WV, et. al.
Assignee: Union Carbide Corporation, CT
Abstract: Process for removing metal carbonyl contaminants from a gaseous stream which comprises contacting the gaseous stream with a zinc sulfide absorbent to thereby remove metal carbonyl contaminants from the gaseous stream, and separating the gaseous stream from the zinc sulfide absorbent.
Claims: A process for removing nickel tetracarbonyl and/or iron pentacarbonyl contaminates from a gaseous stream, wherein ... the gaseous stream comprises synthesis gas.
Synthesis gas, a gas mixture containing primarily hydrogen and carbon monoxide, has become an increasingly important feedstock for the chemical industry (and) can be produced by the partial oxidation or steam-reforming ... and by gasification of coal and coke.
Synthesis gas is converted to many valuable chemicals by such catalytic processes as the Fisher-Tropsch synthesis, which produces a variety of selected alcohols (and) hydrocarbons ... .
Metal carbonyl contamination of gas streams is principally a result of exposure ... to various types of metallic containers, reactors and piping. (Such) metal carbonyls at even very minor concentrations can seriously affect the activity and selectivity of the catalytic processing of synthesis gas ... .
It has now been found that zinc sulfide is an effective absorbent for reducing the metal carbonyl content of gaseous streams (and) it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel process of employing zinc sulfide as an absorbent for removing metal carbonyl impurities from gaseous streams."
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We close our excerpts here since this is, in essence, simply a technology for further preparing and refining a syngas "produced by the ... gasification of coal", in advance of that syngas being converted by the, for one specified instance, "Fischer-Tropsch synthesis" into "a variety of selected alcohols (and) hydrocarbons".
And, our only comment is a question:
How is it that we have, in West Virginia, known, as herein officially, for more than a few decades, that we can, again as herein, cleanly, manufacture those "alcohols and hydrocarbons" via the "gasification of coal"; but, we don't, now, in West Virginia, or elsewhere in US Coal Country, seem to know any of that publicly?