Assessment of ether and alcohol fuels from coal. Volume I. Summary. Final report. [Mixtures of ethers and higher alcohols with gasoline]

Technical Report · Tue Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:5848894

A unique route for the indirect liquefaction of coal to produce transportation fuel has been evaluated. The resultant fuel includes alkyl tertiary alkyl ethers and higher alcohols, all in the gasoline boiling range. When blended into gasoline, the ether fuel provides several advantages over the lower alcohols: (1) lower chemical oxygen content, (2) less severe water separation problems, and (3) reduced front-end volatility effects. The ether fuel also has high octane quality. Further, it can be utilized as a gasoline substitute in all proportions. Vehicle performance tests of blends of a prototype ether fuel in gasoline, covering the concentration range from 0 to 100%, are described. Production of ether fuel combines several steps, all of which are or have been practiced on an industrial scale: (1) coal gasification, (2) gas cleanup and shift to desired H/sub 2/:CO ratio, (3) conversion of synthesis gas to isobuanol, methanol, and higher alcohols, (4) separation of alcohols, (5) chemical dehydration of isobutanol to isobutylene, and (6) etherification of isobutylene with methanol. A pilot plant investigation of the isobutanol synthesis step provided process information necessary to develop a preliminary engineering design and to project prototype ether fuel compositions. Estimates of ether fuel manufacturing costs indicate this process route is significantly more costly than synthesis of methanol. The fuel performance features provide incentive for developing the necessary process and catalyst improvements. Co-production of higher moelcular weight co-solvent alcohols represents a less drastic form of methanol modification to achieve improvement in the performance of methanol-gasoline blends. Costs were estimated for producing several proportions of methanol plus higher alcohols from coal. Estimated fuel selling price increases regularly but modestly with higher alcohol content.

• Research Organization: Suntech, Inc., Marcus Hook, PA (USA). Applied Research Dept.
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-78CS54045
• OSTI ID: 5848894
• Report Number(s): DOE/CS/54045-1-Vol.1-Summ.; ON: DE83017589
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010404 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Gasification
090221* -- Alcohol Fuels-- Chemical Synthesis-- (1976-1989)
10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
2-METHYLPROPANOL
2-METHYLPROPENE
ALCOHOLS
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKENES
ANTIKNOCK RATINGS
CATALYSTS
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
CHALCOGENIDES
COAL GASIFICATION
COPPER COMPOUNDS
COPPER OXIDES
DATA
DISPERSIONS
ECONOMICS
ETHERS
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FLUIDS
FUELS
GASES
GASIFICATION
GASOLINE
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
LIQUID FUELS
METHANOL
MIXTURES
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PURIFICATION
SHIFT PROCESSES
SYNTHESIS
SYNTHESIS GAS
TESTING
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
ZINC COMPOUNDS
ZINC OXIDES