Co-oxidative depolymerization of coal. Final report

Technical Report · Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1985

OSTI ID:5707972

Hessley, R K

Extensive preliminary experiments have been carried out to investigate the use of an oxidative process for the depolymerization of coal. Chemical methodology from polymer science has been applied in a novel manner to determine the conditions under which mild oxidation of coal, in the presence of a suitable co-solvent, will result in significant depolymerization of the coal matrix. All reactions involved Western Kentucky hvB or hvC bituminous coal. In addition to testing numerous potential co-solvents, other variables considered were reaction temperature, reaction time, oxygen partial pressure, pre-oxidation extraction of the coal, and post-oxidation treatment. The extent of co-oxidative depolymerization was determined by exhaustive Soxhlet extraction. That the otherwise facile oxidation of solvent was inhibited when coal was present was interpreted as an indication that reactive sites within the coal matrix were competing for oxygen up-take. In general, the inability to enhance the extractability of coal by co-oxidation is believed to be the result of the failure to form hydroperoxide species. Rather, spectral analysis of the coal indicated that carbonyl structures were formed either during the co-oxidation reaction, or subsequent to co-oxidation. A literature search has indicated that cleavage (C-C bond scission) of some carbonyl species can be carried out under very mild reaction conditions. As a result, future work carried out along these lines may be promising. 24 refs., 7 figs., 14 tabs.

• Research Organization: Western Kentucky Univ., Bowling Green (USA). Dept. of Chemistry
• OSTI ID: 5707972
• Report Number(s): EPRI-AP-4105; ON: TI85920721
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
BITUMINOUS COAL
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
DEPOLYMERIZATION
INFRARED SPECTRA
OXIDATION
COAL LIQUEFACTION
CHEMISTRY
CUMENE
SOLVENT PROPERTIES
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
COAL LIQUIDS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
EXTRACTION
HIGH TEMPERATURE
MEDIUM PRESSURE
MEDIUM TEMPERATURE
NITRILES
ORGANIC SOLVENTS
OXYGEN
PARTIAL PRESSURE
PEROXIDES
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WASHING
AROMATICS
BLACK COAL
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CLEANING
COAL
DATA
DECOMPOSITION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROCARBONS
INFORMATION
LIQUEFACTION
LIQUIDS
MATERIALS
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLVENTS
SPECTRA
010405* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Hydrogenation & Liquefaction
010600 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Properties & Composition