India: Solvent Refined Coal

 

Pursuant to our dispatches regarding the Fort Lewis, Washington, solvent-refined, direct liquefaction coal facility, we submit this dispatch, on the same subject, from India.
 
The excerpt:
 
"Solvent refined coal: studies on the behaviour of an iron catalyst

Author(s)

DWIVEDI S. R. ; DASGUPTA P. K. ; CHATTERJEE P. K. ; BOSE A. N. ; MUKHERJEE S. N. ; CHATTERJEE S. S. ; BRAHMACHARI B. B. ;

Author(s) Affiliation(s)

Cent. fuel res. inst., Dhanbad Bihar 828108, INDE

Abstract

In this paper an attempt is made to study the effect of solvent extraction on coals from Assam, South Karanpura and Singrauli Coalfields of India. Experiments were carried out in autoclaves under hydrogen pressure in the presence or haematite catalyst. Anthracene oil, having boiling range or 270-360°C, was used as solvent, whereas sulphur was used as catalyst promoter. It was observed that the yield and quality or solvent refined coal (SRC) was improved substantially by the effect or the catalyst. The yield or SRC from Sirka seam coal or South Karanpura Coalfield was found to be 94%, while its caking index was 51. Hydrogen requirement was of the order or 1.54% wt/wt or DAF coal. Recovery of recycle solvent was round to be about 90% wt/wt of solvent used in the process... ."
 
Note the mention, as we have previously documented, of, what could be inherent, or native, sulfur as a fortuitous catalyst promoter.

Great Britain: Sulfur Improves CoalTL

 
The role of sulphur in coal hydroliquefaction
 
Martin J. Trewhella and Alan Grint
BP Research Centre, Chertsey Road, Sunbury on Thames, Middlesex, TW16 7LN, UK
  
We all know that sulfur is an element commonly associated with coal, and can be a troublesome component of coal plant emissions. But, if we're willing to put the effort into it, sulfur can be reclaimed from flue gas emissions, and it does have commercial value. As it happens, though, as we move towards an economy fueled, at least in part, by liquids derived from coal, we might benefit from the fact that our coal often does contain sulfur. According to this study, from the United Kingdom, the presence of sulfur improves the efficiency and the productivity of some coal-to-liquid conversion processes.
 
The excerpt:

"Abstract

The effects on coal hydroliquefaction of organic and pyritic sulphur, and of H2S formed from the reductive decomposition of these compounds, are reviewed. Under suitable conditions, all are shown to exert beneficial effects on both product yields and quality. The reasons for the effectiveness of each of these sulphur compounds are discussed."

In other words, as we understand this, when sulfur compounds are present in coal being liquefied, more and better liquid fuels are produced.

 

More Japan Developments

 

Role of Water in Hydrogenation of Coal without Catalyst Addition

Yoshiharu Yoneyama, Makoto Okamura, Kanako Morinaga, and Noritatsu Tsubaki

Department of Material Science System Engineering and Life Science, Faculty of Engineering, Toyama University, 3190 Gofuku, Toyama, 930-8555, Japan

 
As with some other foreign references we've cited, the nature of the translation contributes to some difficulty in understanding the points. But, there is only one we wish to emphasize, aside from, again, this being just more evidence that coal-to-liquid technology is quite real, and undergoing assertive technical development throughout the industrialized world, whether our own, US, governing body and power structure would want us knowing it, or not.
 
Herein is more confirmation that, to state things generally, iron can catalyze coal-to-liquid conversion; and, sulfur, in some experiments, has been shown to enhance the efficiencies of some coal conversion processes. 
 
Fortuitously, pyrite, a relatively common mineral often found in coal, is, chemically, Iron Sulfide. And, we think, the purpose of this Japanese exercise in coal hydrogenation without catalyst addition was to demonstrate the ability of coal that contains pyrite to "self-catalyze" it's own liquefaction.    
 
As follows:
 
"Abstract

Several coals, including Argonne Premium coal, were noncatalytically hydrogenated with or without water addition at 673 K to investigate the effect of added water on coal conversion. For comparison, similar experiments in nitrogen or undecane (n-C11) were also carried out, as critical temperature of n-C11 is similar to that of water. In nitrogen or hydrogen atmosphere, added water promoted coal conversions. But adding n-C11 did not change or decreased the conversions. Especially added n-C11 inhibited coal conversions in nitrogen for higher-rank coal. The conversion of coals, using nitrogen and water, increased with increasing carbon content of coals. On the other hand, while hydrogen and water were used, there existed no clear relationship between the coal conversion and carbon content of coals. Under pressurized hydrogen, the coals containing larger amount of pyrite gave significantly large conversions. There existed synergistic effect between hydrogen and water on the conversions of coals, and the effect was more obvious for the coals containing larger amount of pyrite. These results suggested that pyrite in coals acted as the catalyst and played an important role in synergistic effect between hydrogen and water on the conversion of coal."

So, without attempting to elaborate or explain, it seems that iron and sulfur can promote the conversion of coal to liquid hydrocarbons, and in doing so can use a relatively common and inexpensive substance, i.e., water, to help things along.he Miner

Kentucky: CO2 to Algae to Fuel


 
The enclosed link reveals more information on the: 

"FIRST OHIO RIVER VALLEY ALGAE SYMPOSIUM

Organized by the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research and Ohio University
Sponsors: Kentucky Department of Energy Development and Independence
Wednesday - Thursday, August 12-13, 2009
Henderson Community College - Henderson, Kentucky

One approach to controlling CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion involves using algae to capture and utilize CO2 by conversion to biomass. Algae are the fastest growing photosynthesizing organisms on the planet, while also possessing higher oil content per mass than other sources of biomass. Some species contain over 50% oil by weight. This coupling of fast growth rate and high oil content makes algae a potentially ideal source of bio-derived oil.

This symposium will provide a forum for discussing advances in the use of algae for CO2 capture and biofuels production."

As we've been saying, the potential exists to capture the Carbon Dioxide by-product of our coal-use industries, whether those industries produce power or liquid fuels, and then use the CO2 to manufacture more liquid fuels, among other things.

Coal Waste Uses - Aluminum Ore

 

Although a seeming excursion from the subject of coal-to-liquid technology, we wanted to submit more evidence, as we have previously, that even the by-products of coal use possess value and utility. We had earlier documented developments wherein coal ash was, and is being, combined with other materials to create a lighter, stronger "cement/concrete", which could be used in many construction applications and provides some benefits in addition to weight savings.
 
Joe's mid-Seventies WVU research into coal mine waste accumulations, though focused, as he remembers it, primarily on an assessment of remaining/recoverable organic content, also involved chemical surveys of other materials present in mine wastes. He recalls that aluminum was present in surprisingly high quantities at some of the sites he studied.
 
Though his work dealt with mine wastes, if aluminum is present in those wastes, it's also likely to be present in the coal, and would thus be present, and concentrated, in the coal ash. In fact, the combustion of the coal might affect the aluminum to make it more easily recoverable.
 
We'll not document it, but another reference on the recovery of aluminum from coal plant ash stated that the aluminum content in the ash studied was higher, and more easily recoverable, than in some grades of the standard aluminum ore, bauxite.
 
The excerpt: 

"Chinese power company successfully produces alumina from coal ash

Datang International Power Generation Co says that it has competed construction of a plant for recovering alumina from high alumina content coal ash.

Posted:  Sunday , 11 Jan 2009

BEIJING (Reuters) - 


A Chinese power company has succeeded in producing alumina from coal ash, a step that could help ease China's chronic raw materials shortage, the Economic Daily said.

Datang International Power Generation Co (601991.SS) has completed construction of a plant capable of producing 3,000 tonnes of alumina a year from coal ash, and produced its first batch of alumina, the paper said, citing a company forum on the topic.

Ash remaining after coal is burned typically contains metals, including alumina, the raw material for aluminium, and recapturing and using them could reduce demand for natural resources. The challenge has been to develop the technology to the point where it is cost-effective.

China's aluminium smelters have expanded rapidly over the last few years, straining the country's ability to supply alumina as well as its raw material, bauxite.

Although the economic downturn has idled some aluminium smelting capacity, China's appetite for raw materials is still expected to be formidable in the long term.

The plant is expected to source its fly ash from power plants in Inner Mongolia, where alumina content in fly ash can near 50 percent, much higher than from other coal sources, the paper said."

Coal use doesn't produce wastes, just by-products.