Enhanced coal liquefaction by low-severity catalytic reactions: Technical progress report for the period March to May 1987

Technical Report · Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:6215618

Davis, A; Derbyshire, F J; Schobert, H H

The objective of this investigation is to examine the potential and limitations of temperature-staged catalytic liquefaction. Experiments have been planned to examine the chemical reactions which occur during the low- and high-severity stages, the effects of coal rank and process conditions, the function of catalyst and influence of solvent donor capability. In our dry, catalytic experiments the key to high conversions is the use of hydrogen at 425/sup 0/C. Pretreatment with nitrogen gave essentially no advantage, and with hydrogen resulted in a slight improvement in oil yield. For the non-catalytic reactions, with a solvent, the result demonstrates the importance of a hydrogen donor (tetralin compared to naphthalene). The use of hydrogen in the pretreatment stage has little influence on the total level of conversion, but gives a somewhat better oil-asphaltene ratio. In fact, regardless of whether a hydrogen donor is present, the best oil/asphaltene ratios were always obtained whenever hydrogen was used in the first stage and nitrogen in the second stage. In order to understand what kinds of bonds are broken during a low-temperature stage in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst, five model compounds have been reacted and evaluated in terms of product yield and boiling point distribution. For the reactions conducted at 275/sup 0/C, biphenyl was found to be unreactive, even in the presence of a catalyst; pyrene, diphenyl ketone and phenyl ether are relatively reactive under these conditions. Temperature-staging with MoS/sub 2/ as the catalyst, for most of the model compounds, resulted in more products with boiling points below the starting material, than with any other conditions employed. Observations were made which suggest that minerals can act as catalysts during ''non-catalytic runs''. 12 refs.

• Research Organization: Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: FG22-86PC90910
• OSTI ID: 6215618
• Report Number(s): DOE/PC/90910-3; ON: DE87013282
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
CHEMICAL BONDS
CLEAVAGE
COAL LIQUEFACTION
CATALYSTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
HYDROGENATION
MINERALS
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
BIBENZYL
BIPHENYL
HYDROGEN TRANSFER
PYRENE
STRUCTURAL MODELS
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
AROMATICS
CONDENSED AROMATICS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
HYDROCARBONS
LIQUEFACTION
MICROSTRUCTURE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
010405* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Hydrogenation & Liquefaction