Chemistry of Texas lignite liquefaction in a hydrogen-donor solvent system
The chemical nature of the products released from lignite into tetralin, their structural relationship to lignite, and a procedure for characterizing the reaction products are discussed. The conditions used in these experiments were mild enough to prevent both excessive gas production due to high temperature pyrolysis and chemical rearrangement of products released during the liquefaction process. Since the possibility of the water gas reaction is excluded, the production of carbon dioxide is due to the carboxylic acid groups present in the lignite lattice and alkanes constitute the bulk of the lignite liquefaction products. The alkanes can be produced from lignite by pyrolysis, by pyrolytic hydrogenation using hydrogen or hydrogen donor solvents at the same temperatures and pressures. Although pyrolysis gives the smallest yield and the hydrogen donor solvent system gives the largest yield, the relative composition of alkanes is essentially constant. The lignite lattice contains alkane chains in varying lengths and they are released during liquefaction without fragmentation. The other major products are alkylated aromatics, alkylated indanes and alkylated phenols. Some of these products undergo secondary chemical rearrangements during prolonged reaction times. Lignite is one of the youngest members of the coal family and still contains intact some of the original plant structural skeleton. Formation of these lignite structural constituents from wood lignin can be easily envisioned.
- Research Organization:
- Texas A and M Univ., College Station
- OSTI ID:
- 6573228
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-780902-P2
- Journal Information:
- Am. Chem. Soc., Div. Fuel Chem., Prepr.; (United States), Vol. 23:4; Conference: American Chemical Society meeting, Miami, FL, USA, 10 Sep 1978
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
The ortho-allylbenzyl radical: A sensitive procedure for the assessment of hydrogen donor solvent reactivity
Ortho-allybenzyl radical: a sensitive procedure for the assessment of hydrogen donor solvent reactivity
Related Subjects
COAL LIQUEFACTION
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
HYDROGEN TRANSFER
LIGNITE
LIQUEFACTION
SOLVENTS
TETRALIN
AROMATICS
BROWN COAL
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
COAL
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROCARBONS
KINETICS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
REACTION KINETICS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
010405* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Hydrogenation & Liquefaction