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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Enhanced catalysis by solvent improvement. Quarterly technical progress report, 1 October-31 December 1983

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:7257263

This report describes the results from coal pretreatment and pretreatment followed by liquefaction experiments. The coal pretreatment techniques discussed in this report include grinding of Illinois Number 6 coal in the presence of inert gas, air, alcohol, base liquefaction solvent, modified solvent, and toluene. The use of base liquefaction solvent to grind coal prior to liquefaction was markedly detrimental to oil production. However, grinding coal in the presence of modified solvent prior to liquefaction showed marginally higher oil production than that noted with liquefaction of coal pre-ground in helium. The use of elevated temperatures during grinding of coal in the presence of any liquefaction solvent showed insignificant improvement in oil yields over that noted at low temperatures. Grinding coal in air was quite detrimental to oil yield when liquefaction was performed in the presence of base liquefaction solvent. On the contrary, liquefaction of air ground coal with modified solvent showed significantly higher oil yield compared to liquefaction in the presence of base liquefaction solvent. Grinding of coal in the presence of ethyl alcohol as well as extraction of coal with alcohol prior to liquefaction in the presence of either base liquefaction solvent or modified solvent was quite detrimental to both oil production and coal conversion. Finally, the use of toluene to grind coal in the presence of molybdenum hexacarbonyl resulted in significantly higher oil production upon liquefaction using modified solvent compared to the oil yield obtained by grinding coal in modified solvent containing either oil-soluble molybdenum catalyst or molybdenum added as molybdenum hexacarbonyl. 3 refs., 6 figs., 10 tabs.

Research Organization:
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., Allentown, PA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC22-82PC50003
OSTI ID:
7257263
Report Number(s):
DOE/PC/50003-24; ON: DE87001643
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English