Dieter Leckel*
Fischer−Tropsch Refinery Catalysis, Sasol Technology Research and Development, Post Office Box 1, Sasolburg 1947, South Africa
The abstract:
"Various configurations were studied to hydroprocess high-temperature Fischer−Tropsch (HTFT) vacuum gas oils to diesel fuel in compliance with EN590/Euro 4 fuel specifications. Conventional hydroprocessing generates a distillate not conforming to the fuel specifications; however, addition of an isomerization function and extra hydrotreating capacity markedly improved density and cold-flow properties. Hydrocracking the heavy part of the HTFT vacuum gas oil proved to be a viable alternative to generate a HTFT diesel with higher density and good cold-flow properties. Complementary blending studies confirmed that Euro 4 diesel fuel specifications are achievable by blending isomerized hydrotreated HTFT light distillate with HTFT heavy distillates and coal-pyrolysis-derived distillate fractions."
Mike,
What they're not making clear is that you can derive the HTFT distillates from different sources - thus, the "light" and "heavy" designations. So, whether you get it from coal, coal waste, oil/oily shale, or cellulose (i.e. tree trunks, some crop wastes, old News-Registers, etc.) - which you can - the "pyrolysis" gas can be fiddled with one way or another to get all kinds of stuff we can pump into the tanks of our Fords and Chevies.
And, note again the participation of Sasol. You called 'em, yet?
Joe the Miner