Erv J. Kuhlmann, Dick Y. Jung, Richard P. Guptill, Charles A. Dyke and Hyung K. Zang
Texaco Research Center, PO Box 509, Beacon, NY 12508, USA
Abstract
The presence of hydroaromatic, hydrogen donor components in a coal-derived solvent is one of the more important factors in the successful operation of a non-catalytic coal liquefaction process. Various hydrogen donor species present in a hydrogenated creosote oil have been identified. Their rate of disappearance under conditions that are consistent with a short residence time coal liquefaction process has been used to rank the reactivities of the various hydrogen donors. 1,2,3,10b-Tetrahydrofluoranthene was found to be an exceptional donor while 4,5-dihydropyrene, the hexahydropyrenes and 9,10-dihydrophenanthrene were found to be quite active. Sym.-octahydrophenanthrene and 2a,3,4,5-tetrahydroacenaphthene exhibited moderate activity. Tetralin and the four methyltetralin isomers were found to be unreactive under the coal liquefaction conditions employed."
Hokkaido National Industrial Research Institute, AIST, MITI Higashi-tsukisamu, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo 062, Japan
Abstract:
Behavior of Hydrogen Transfer over Carbon-Supported Nickel Catalyst in Upgrading of Coal-Derived Liquid.
Abstract: Coal-derived oils were hydrotreated in two-stage catalytic processes or in single stage co-refining catalytic processes to produce high-quality oils. The former processes were much more flexible to control the quality of the final products such as gasoline and/or kerosene, depending on the reaction mode/severity of each state. In hydro-treating neat and low sulfur coal-derived oils, we developed a new type of (Nickel-Tungsten-Aluminum Oxide) hydro-treating catalyst for the first stage use, which catalyst had higher hydrogenation and "hydrodenitrogenation" activities and better activity maintenance than the conventional (Nickel-Molybdenum-Aluminum Oxide) catalysts. A new type of zeolite hydro-cracking catalyst, which showed high activity to convert (high temperature distillate) fraction with minimal gas make, was also developed for the second stage usage.In the latter co-refining process, where coal-derived oils were mixed with the proper fraction of petroleum oils and hydro-processed to get high-quality kerosene and/or diesel oils, (Ruthenium-Nickel-Molybdenum-Aluminum Oxide) catalysts were superior to (Nickel-Molybdenum-Aluminum Oxide) and (Nickel-Tungsten- Aluminum Oxide) catalysts. Spent Nickel-Tungsten and Nickel-Molybdenum catalysts were successfully cured by the oxidative regeneration under the low partial pressure of oxygen in the oxidizing gas and low oxidation temperature conditions."
First of all, the "heavy distillates" in the first abstract are intended to imply coal-derived oils. "Naphthalene" and "anthracene" are both constituents of crude coal "tar" or coal "oil", in the more traditional sense of those phrases.
Note, in the final abstract, mention of "processes (that) were (are) much more flexible to control the quality of the final products such as gasoline and/or kerosene"; and,. the "high activity" of a zeolite catalyst "to convert" products from "coal-derived oils" into "high-quality kerosene and/or diesel".
Zeolite catalysts, as we hope you'll recall, are at the heart of Exxon-Mobil's "MTG"(r) process which converts methanol to gasoline; methanol that's posited to be made from coal.
Again, the technical language might seem confusing, but the import is quite clear: We know how to convert coal into liquid hydrocarbon fuels.