We have, in a few earlier reports, documented some of the achievements of the University of Utah in the development of Coal conversion technology.
Examples include:
Utah Makes Gasoline from Coal | Research & Development | News; wherein is detailed: "Production of Gasoline Components (from) Coal-derived Aromatic Hydrocarbons; University of Utah"; and:
Utah CoalTL Synergies | Research & Development | News; wherein multiple cited reports testify that University of Utah scientists have developed processes that enable the co-liquefaction of Coal with a variety of what would otherwise be environmentally-contaminating carbonaceous waste materials.
Herein, we see that a group of University of Utah scientists, a few of whom were among the authors of the above references, were awarded a United States Patent, more than three decades ago, for a refinement on one process of converting Coal into hydrocarbon liquids.
Moreover, yet again, We the People, through the Energy Research and Development Administration, which was one of the original founding components of, and became assimilated into, the USDOE, paid, with our tax money, to have research leading to the US Patent we enclose herein performed.
Comment follows excerpts from the initial link in this dispatch to:
"US Patent 4,134,822 - Minimizing ... Catalyst Requirements for Coal Hydrogenation-Liquefaction
Date: January 16, 1979
Inventors: Ralph Wood, Wendell Wiser, et. al., Utah
Assignee: University of Utah, Salt Lake City
Abstract: A process for reducing the amount of catalyst required for coal hydrogenation-liquefaction reactions involving dry fed, short-residence coal reaction systems. Coal particles are mixed with dry catalyst material having a (high) vapor pressure ... . Catalysts having such high vapor pressure have demonstrated greatly improved ability to establish the required intimate contact for efficient catalysis when dry mixed and enable significant reduction of amounts of catalyst material required. In systems utilizing ZnCl2 as the catalyst material, reductions in percent weight concentration to the range of 1 to 2% are accomplished.
The invention disclosed herein was developed in part under contract funding provided by the Energy Research and Development Administration of the United States Government.
Claims: (A) process for catalytic hydrogenation-liquefaction of dry-fed coal under short-residence reaction environment conditions, an improved catalyzing procedure (which utilizes as catalysts) metallic salts (which are) selected from the group consisting of ZnCl2, SnCl2, ZnBr2, ZnI2, PbI2 and PbCl2.
(Without linking to earlier of our reports, we encourage you to recall our documentation of the facts that our own, local Consolidation Coal Company, Consol, and, later, their new parent, Conoco, long ago established the utility of Zinc Halides, specifically Zinc Chloride, as catalysts in Coal hydrogenation reactions. It seems possible, even likely, that the innovation disclosed herein is derivative of Consol's earlier work.)
Background and Field:
The present invention relates to improved catalysis in coal liquefaction processes.
The techniques of coal liquefaction catalysis have been varied. In 1968 the Office of Coal Research completed an extensive study in which molten ZnCl2 in large concentrations was investigated as a catalysis environment. United States Department of Interior, OCR Research and Development Report No. 39, Vol. III, Book 1, "Research on Zinc Chloride Catalyst for Converting Coal to Gasoline." Unfortunately, the process did not prove to be economically feasible. The high energy cost of maintaining the ZnCl2 in melt form and the catalyst loss associated with the process involve costs beyond that which the market would endure.
(Back in 1968, perhaps. What about now - especially if "maintaining the ZnCl2 in melt form" were accomplished using Solar heat or Hydroelectric power?)
Objectives and Summary: It is an objective of the present invention to define a class of catalysts useful in coal hydrogenation-liquefaction having a common physical property of high vapor pressure.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved method of exposing catalyst material to molecular level contact with coal.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a method of catalysis of coal hydrogenation which minimizes or eliminates the need to recover the catalyst material utilized.
A decrease in catalyst concentration for coal hydrogenation-liquefaction processes is accomplished by utilizing metallic salts having (properties as specified, which) thereby increases the efficiency of the liquefaction process.
Catalyst recovery procedures are ... minimized, further reducing the economic costs which have impeded commercialization of dry-fed coal liquefaction processes."
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Again, we remind you of Consolidation Coal Company's 1960's-era Zinc Chloride Coal liquefaction developments, some of which, again as documented in the WV Coal Association's R&D Blog archives, were financed by the Office of Coal Research, and related federal agencies.
We the People paid to have that Consol, and this Utah, Coal conversion technology developed.
PS: If it is of interest, and according to web-based sources, the United States Energy Research and Development Administration, "ERDA", the sponsors of the Utah research herein, was formed in the breakup of the original Atomic Energy Commission, in 1975 - all as a result of the "Energy Reorganization Act of 1974", subsequent to the 1973 oil crisis.
In 1977, ERDA was rolled, with other agencies, into the newly-formed US Department of Energy.