Chemistry of lignite liquefaction. Quarterly report, October--December 1977. [Model compounds]
Solvent refined lignite (SRL), obtained by treating lignite with carbon monoxide-hydrogen-water at 1,500 to 2,500 psi at ca. 400/sup 0/C, has an average molecular weight of ca. 460 with about 89 percent carbon, 6 percent hydrogen, 3 percent oxygen, 1 percent nitrogen and 1 percent sulfur with no inorganic material. Based on nuclear magnetic resonance studies, SRL is highly aromatic and one acid group and 0.1 base groups per average molecule. SRL is similar to solvent refined coal (SRC's) from bituminous and subbituminous coals in C, H, and S elemental analysis, acid content, nmr and uv spectra, but lower in nitrogen and base content. Gel permeation chromatographic separations, using pyridine as the eluant, show the range of molecular weights of SRL to be 4000 to 160 gm/mole. As determined by X-ray diffraction studies, SRL and SRC have crystallites present in the solid phase with about 15A diameter with the SRL having an average stack of four aromatic planes separated by 3.7A. Low angle X-ray scattering studies on the SRL sample in pyridine solution showed the molecules to have an 18A average radius of gyration. Solvent refined lignite can be 90 percent converted by catalytic hydrogenation into ca. 20 percent light liquids, 15 percent light oil, 20 percent heavy oil and gases. Phenol, ethylbenzene, diphenylether, diphenylmethane, dibenzothiophene and carbazole are difficult to reduce under carbon monoxide-water conditions at 425/sup 0/C in batch autoclaves. For all but the quinoline reaction, where hydrogen was superior, a blend of carbon monoxide-water and hydrogen was the optimum set of reducing gases. Carbon monoxide and water outperformed hydrogen for the benzophenone and benzhydrol reductions. A host of metal oxides (possible in situ catalysts in coal) has been tested by electron spin resonance for activity in electron transfer processes.
- Research Organization:
- North Dakota Univ., Grand Forks (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6609718
- Report Number(s):
- FE-2211-8
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Laboratory studies of the conversion of solvent refined lignite to light liquid fuels. Project Lignite: premium fuels from Northern Great Plains lignite. R and D report No. 106, interim report No. 3
Chemistry of lignite liquefaction. Quarterly report, July--September 1977
Related Subjects
010405* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Hydrogenation & Liquefaction
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
BROWN COAL
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CATALYSTS
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
COAL
COAL LIQUEFACTION
COAL LIQUIDS
COHERENT SCATTERING
DIFFRACTION
ELECTRON SPIN RESONANCE
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROGENATION
LIGNITE
LIQUEFACTION
MAGNETIC RESONANCE
MOLECULAR WEIGHT
NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
REFINING
RESONANCE
SCATTERING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
X-RAY DIFFRACTION