Improved coal conversion in CO/water systems. Quarterly report No. 2, December 4, 1984-March 3, 1985. [Polynaphthoquinone]

Technical Report · Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5695804

Ross, D S; Hum, G; Miin, T C

This research program is a study of conversion mechanisms in CO/H/sub 2/O systems. We have previously reported the conversion of an Illinois No. 6 coal to toluene-soluble (TS) product at 400/sup 0/C for 20 minutes. The conversion was found to follow the water-gas-shift reaction (WGSR), CO + H/sub 2/ ..-->.. CO/sub 2/ + H/sub 2/. More specifically, the levels of conversion correlated with the degree of CO disappearance. The extent of CO being converted in the WGSR is controlled by the amount of KOH present. Ultimately, the level of conversion was controlled by varying the initial pH of the H/sub 2/O solution. The intermediate is believed to be formate, formed by the reaction of CO and KOH. Ross has postulated the mechanism of coal conversion in CO/H/sub 2/O systems in a recent review on aqueous conversion. It is suggested that the thermolysis of weak bibenzyl type bonds in coal conversion is not a significant process, but rather that reactions involving phenolic constituents in the coal are more important. We have synthesized a model polymer, polynaphthoquinone (PNQ), and have reduced it to its polyphenolic structure for studying the importance of phenolic functions and its correlation to coal conversion. The research is being performed in two tasks. In the first, we are investigating formate-promoted conversions of Illinois No. 6 coal. In the second, the reactions of the model polymer PNQ are being studied in the CO/H/sub 2/O system. Our objectives are to improve conversion effectiveness with formate and to determine the correlation of phenolic functions present in coal structures with conversion. This quarter, we have focused on the synthesis and reduction of PNQ. We are at present designing an appropriate microreactor system for the formate study. 7 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.

• Research Organization: SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: FG22-84PC70811
• OSTI ID: 5695804
• Report Number(s): DOE/PC/70811-2; ON: DE85013247
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
COAL LIQUEFACTION
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
QUINONES
REDUCTION
SYNTHESIS
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
AUTOCLAVES
CARBON MONOXIDE
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CORRELATIONS
FORMATES
HIGH PRESSURE
HIGH TEMPERATURE
POTASSIUM HYDROXIDES
REACTION INTERMEDIATES
SHIFT PROCESSES
STRUCTURAL MODELS
TETRAHYDROFURAN
WATER
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
AROMATICS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
CHALCOGENIDES
DISPERSIONS
FURANS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXIDES
KINETICS
LIQUEFACTION
MIXTURES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS
REACTION KINETICS
SOLUTIONS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
010405* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Hydrogenation & Liquefaction