Chemistry of lignite liquefaction. Final progress report, January 1980-December 1982

Technical Report · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983

OSTI ID:5903388

Baltisberger, R J; Stenberg, V I; Klabunde, K J; Woolsey, N F

Asphaltene and preasphaltene components of samples of solvent refined lignites prepared at 400, 460 and 480/sup 0/C have been isolated by solvent fractionation. The composition of the asphaltenes and preasphaltenes have been analyzed for their number average molecular weight distribution, acid components, oxygen functionality and aromatic structure. Three significant differences between preasphaltenes and asphaltenes were noted. First, the molecular weight distribution maximizes 200 to 300 g/mol higher for the preasphaltenes compared to the asphaltenes. Second, the asphaltenes contained a higher degree of condensed aromatic systems than the corresponding preasphaltenes. Third, the asphaltenes have larger quantities of hydroxyl type oxygen than other oxygen while preasphaltenes show equal amounts or a greater quantity of other oxygen depending on the pressure of the reaction. Experimental work completed on the model compounds: PhSPh, PhN(CH/sub 3/)/sub 2/, PhOPh, PhCH/sub 2/Ph, PhCH/sub 2/CH/sub 2/Ph, lignin and sexiphenyl suggested H/sub 2/-H/sub 2/S and CO-H/sub 2/O-H/sub 2/S to be effective reducing gases for coals at liquefaction temperatures. This prediction has now been verified. Lignite gives extraordinary yields of oil at the expense of gases and unconverted coal. The mechanisms of H/sub 2/S action have now been demonstrated to be a minimim of three: (1) a hydrogen transfer agent similar to that thought to occur with hydrogenated recycle solvents, (2) a cracking agent capable of rupturing nitrogen-carbon bonds, and (3) a homogeneous, volatile, efficient catalyst for the shift reaction. Elemental sulfur as an additive to coal liquefaction experiments and the model compound experiments exhibit many of the same characteristics of H/sub 2/S when used in the presence of either H/sub 2/ or CO-H/sub 2/O.

• Research Organization: North Dakota Univ., Grand Forks (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AB18-78FC02101
• OSTI ID: 5903388
• Report Number(s): DOE/FC/02101-23; ON: DE83015650
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010405* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Hydrogenation & Liquefaction
AMINES
ANILINE
AROMATICS
ASPHALTENES
ASPHALTS
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
BITUMENS
BROWN COAL
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CARBONYLS
CATALYSTS
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL BONDS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CLEAVAGE
COAL
COAL LIQUEFACTION
COAL LIQUIDS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DATA
DEALKYLATION
DENITRIFICATION
ENERGY SOURCES
ETHERS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
EXTRACTION
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FRACTIONATION
FUELS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
HYDROGEN TRANSFER
HYDROGENATION
INFORMATION
IRON COMPOUNDS
LIGNITE
LIQUEFACTION
LIQUIDS
MATERIALS
MICROSTRUCTURE
MOLECULAR WEIGHT
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
REDUCING AGENTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
STRUCTURAL CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
STRUCTURAL MODELS
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TAR
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
YIELDS