Senator Vows to Fight for Coal

 
For Pete's sake, help our senators out. Tell everyone the truth of the matter, as you should by now know it: Coal is an incredibly valuable resource that can supply our liquid fuel and chemical manufacturing raw material needs. And, the by-products of it's use, including and especially Carbon Dioxide, can, if effort is put to the task, themselves be valuable raw materials for us; raw materials which can be used for many things, including, even, the manufacture of more liquid fuels.
 
All of that is solidly documented. Let our senators know and, more importantly, let their constituents know.
 
Give 'em some help in doing what it is you, we all, want, and need, them to do.

Japanese Developments

 
We present this Japanese research as additional confirmation of the validity of West Virginia University's focus on direct coal liquefaction techniques, and some specific components of those techniques, as opposed to indirect, i.e. the Fischer-Tropsch, Bergius, Karrick, etc., processes, for converting coal into crude liquids suitable for refining into petroleum substitutes.
 
The excerpt:
 
"Coal hydroliquefaction using highly dispersed catalyst precursors 

Naoki Ikenaga, Shusaku Kan-nan, Takahiro Sakoda and Toshimitsu Suzuki

Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kansai University, Suita, Osaka 564, Japan 

Abstract

In order to discuss the hydrogen transfer process in coal liquefaction with a catalyst in the presence of a donor solvent, hydroliquefaction of Yallourn, Wyoming, Illinois No. 6, and Mi-ike coals and cracking of benzyl phenyl ether (BPE) were carried out in tetralin or tetralin/naphthalene mixed solvent under a hydrogen atmosphere with highly dispersed catalyst precursors such as Fe(CO)5---S, Mo(CO)6---S, and Ru3(CO)12.

In the absence of the catalyst, more than 70% of hydrogen was transferred from tetralin, as determined by the formation of naphthalene. In the presence of Mo(CO)6---S and Ru3(CO)12, however, the amount of hydrogen transferred from tetralin decreased to 15–40% of the total hydrogen and that from gas phase increased to 60–85% of the hydrogen required to stabilize coal fragment radicals even with an excess amount of tetralin. When the reaction was carried out in the tetralin/naphthalene mixed solvent, little hydrogenation of naphthalene occurred even with the active catalyst.

This strongly supports the assertion that a decrease in the amount of naphthalene in the catalyzed liquefaction of coal in tetralin with a catalyst can be ascribed to the direct hydrogen transfer from molecular hydrogen to coal fragment radicals. In the presence of coal or benzyl phenyl ether, little or no hydrogenation of naphthalene occurred."

This Japanese effort might seem unnecessary for us to report, even though it does seem to confirm WVU, and other, research results into catalyst specifics. However, it's important, we think, to continue making note of the fact that this kind of detailed effort is underway in various places throughout the world that are pretty far removed from each other. It's further confirmation of the solid reality that we can convert coal into perfectly acceptable replacements for petroleum-based fuels - just as the ancestors of these contemporary Japanese scientists did for Imperial Japan, at Kobe, in WWII, as we've documented.

 

Gulf Research

 
Behavior of phenolics in coal liquefaction: adduction tendency and coal conversion capability
 R.I. Mcneil and D.C. Cronauer
Gulf Research & Development Company, P.O. Drawer 2038, Pittsburgh, PA 15230 U.S.A.
 
We submit this research report for a couple of reasons.
 
Once more, WVU's specification of tetralin as being, perhaps, the most effective solvent for direct coal liquefaction is validated.
 
And, here we have the research branch of yet another, at one time, major petroleum company, Gulf, validating the fact that coal can be converted into liquid fuel - as have Exxon-Mobil, Shell and Phillips.
 
The excerpt:

"Abstract

A series of coal liquefaction reactions has been carried out at 450°C to examine the adduction tendency and the coal liquefaction efficiency of 1-naphthol using a product extraction scheme which minimizes co-solvent effects. An additional set of experiments was conducted to provide information on the relative effectiveness of substituted phenols compared with the parent compound.

The results indicate that 1-naphthol is a better solvent than phenanthrene, but a significantly poorer one than tetralin with regard to total conversion. Mixtures of this compound with tetralin do not promote conversion above that available from tetralin alone. In all cases, loss of naphthol by adduction to the coal liquids is a major problem.

The three cresols effect higher degrees of coal conversion when used 1:1 with tetralin than does phenol, but the mixtures are not as effective as tetralin alone. The single-ring phenolic species were found to exhibit only a very moderate tendency for adduction."

Another small point, perhaps, that tetralin, as reported by WVU, remains, as determined herein by Gulf, the best coal solvent so far identified. But, there is another issue herein. As we have previously reported, "phenol" is a by-product of coal combustion and conversion, and it has in other studies been noted, as in this one, to be a potentially-effective solvent for direct coal liquefaction. If some justification, whether cost or other, could be found to use phenol, instead of or in combination with tetralin, then it would be another synergy to be exploited in the CTL process; i.e., a by-product of coal dissolution could be employed to dissolve more coal for the process of liquid fuel synthesis. If not, "phenols", generically, have value for the chemical industry - as witness the multiple patents we sent you centered on their recovery from industrial waste streams. So, any that are created in, and, as they should be, recovered from the coal liquefaction process will have marketable value.

 

Coal Liquefaction Process Refinement


 
We submit this article to further identify and explain the high-efficiency coal solvent, "tetralin", which has been identified by West Virginia University as an effective coal solvent for direct coal liquefaction processes.
 
As it happens, tetralin (1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline) is more than just an effective solvent for liquefying coal, as we explain, following.
 
The excerpt:
 
"Coal liquefaction in nitrogen compounds 

Francis J. Derbyshire, George A. Odoerfer and D. Duayne Whitehurst

Mobil Oil Corporation, Mobil Research and Development Corporation, Central Research Division, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA

Abstract

Model compound studies have shown that 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline is an exceptionally good coal solvent. In the pure compound, subbituminous coal conversion to THF-soluble products approaches 100% under relatively mild reaction conditions. The effectiveness of tetrahydroquinoline for coal conversion appears to be related to its concentration relative to coal. The unique behaviour of tetrahydroquinoline is ascribed to its being a highly active H-donor; the fact that it is regenerable under reaction conditions by the reaction of hydrogen and quinoline; and that its polarity allows penetration of the coal structure and aids in dispersion of the dissolved coal. It has been found that, during reaction with coal, tetrahydroquinoline and other nitrogen compounds undergo extensive condensation reactions which result in an increase in the nitrogen content of the high boiling and non-distillable liquefaction products."

First of all, note this patent is owned by Mobil, who, as part of Exxon-Mobil, own the "MTG" - methanol-to-gasoline - process, wherein the methanol can be derived from coal and then converted into gasoline.  

Second, tetralin can be easily regenerated under process conditions. It is not a totally consumed or wasted substance that will add great expense to the process.

Third, tetralin actually has the property of being able to penetrate coal particles, perhaps helping thereby to reduce the costs of mechanically preparing, grinding, the coal  feed.

Finally, tetralin is not just a solvent, but a Hydrogen donor. It actually helps to make coal's solid carbon a liquid "hydro"carbon.

China: Coal and Sawdust Liquefaction

Co-liquefaction of Enriched Coal Maceral Constituents and Sawdust
WANG Yang, LI Ting-chen, REN Zheng-wei, et al.
Dept. Chem. Technol. for Energy Source, East China Univ. Sci. & Technol., Shanghai 200237, China

 
Herein another scientific report confirming both the effectiveness of the solvent, tetralin, in direct coal liquefaction processes, as studied by WVU, and the fact that such direct liquefaction technologies using tetralin can employ cellulose as a biologically-derived, carbon-offsetting co-feed for coal in appropriate liquefaction processes.
 
The excerpt: 
 
"Co-liquefaction of coal and sawdust was studied in the presence of hydrogen-donor solvent, tetralin. Coal samples were prepared through floatation of the Xinwen coal, followed by enrichment of maceral constituents. Sample I was rich in vitrinite and Sample II fusinite. Effects of reaction temperature, time and initial cold H2 pressure were studied on conversion, yield, especially oil yield, through comparison between these two samples. Because it is more difficult to be liquefied, Sample II, is greatly affected by changes in temperature and time. However, it is almost independent of change in initial cold H2 pressure, owing to the role of tetralin as hydrogen vehicle. Certain product(s) formed from thermolysis of sawdust can help hydrogenation of the intermediate (asphaltene and preasphaltene) in further forming oil products."
 
And, make note of the synergy, wherein the inclusion of sawdust can actually help to further process,  hydrogenate, asphaltene that is an otherwise objectionable by-product of coal processing. Co-processing sawdust, or other cellulose, one presumes, with coal facilitates the reduction of asphaltene into components useful for liquid fuel synthesis.