Grafting process solubilizes coal

Journal Article · Mon Jan 24 04:00:00 EST 1977 · Chem. Eng. News; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/cen-v055n004.p026· OSTI ID:5344612

Rawls, R L

Research on a chemical grafting procedure to make coal soluble is reported. In the process simple hydrocarbon monomers are grafted to molecules within the coal by free radical polymerization. Short whiskerlike chains of the monomer units are built up on the coal molecules. The effect is to make the coal more soluble either by allowing solvent molecules to penetrate between coal molecules more easily or by direct interaction of the appended groups with the solvent. The organic sulfur compounds that are found particularly in eastern coal deposits remain with the insoluble portion during treatment. So in addition to making coal soluble, the procedure also greatly reduces its sulfur content. In tests so far, the sulfur content of the treated coal has been less than 0.7 percent, making it clean enough to meet most environmental regulations. So far the work has been carried out only on a laboratory scale, and many details of exactly what is occurring have not been fully assessed. (JRD)

• OSTI ID: 5344612
• Journal Information: Chem. Eng. News; (United States), Journal Name: Chem. Eng. News; (United States) Vol. 55:4; ISSN CENEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010405* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Hydrogenation & Liquefaction
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COAL LIQUEFACTION
DESULFURIZATION
GRAFT POLYMERS
HYDROCARBONS
LIQUEFACTION
MONOMERS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
POLYMERIZATION
POLYMERS
RADICALS
SOLVENTS