Coal liquefaction process

Patent · Tue Sep 20 04:00:00 EDT 1977

OSTI ID:5390122

Plumlee, K W; Vernon, L W

A process for liquefying a particulate coal feed to produce useful petroleum-like liquid products by steps which include: (a) admixing said coal feed, a solvent, particularly a non-donor solvent, and a quinone compound, or admixture of quinone compounds, to form a coal liquid slurry, and then (b) contacting said coal liquid slurry with molecular hydrogen in a liquefaction zone at temperature and pressure sufficient to hydroconvert and liquefy the coal. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the product from the liquefaction zone is separated by distillation into fractions inclusive of fractions boiling within about the 350 to 850/sup 0/F range, and preferably within about the 400/sup 0/ to 700/sup 0/F range, which can be recycled to the coal liquefaction zone for use in slurrying the coal. A feature of this invention is that the quinone compound acts as a hydrogenation catalyst, causing adequate hydrogenation of the coal within the coal liquefaction zone in the presence of the molecular hydrogen without any necessity of employing a hydrogen donor solvent, and hence there is no need for hydrogenation of the solvent in a separate hydrogenation zone.

• Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Co.
• Patent Number(s): US 4049537
• OSTI ID: 5390122
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010405* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Hydrogenation & Liquefaction
AROMATICS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CATALYSTS
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COAL
COAL LIQUEFACTION
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROGENATION
LIQUEFACTION
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
QUINONES