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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

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7320717· OSTI ID:7320717

Characterization studies of solvent refined lignite (SRL) and solvent refined coal (SRC), and the results of SRL and SRC conversions to lighter materials are described. The solubilities of SRL were determined in about forty organic solvents, several of which dissolved the SRL completely. The basic nitrogen and phenolic contents in the SRL were determined by potentiometric titrations. Some of the nitrogen in SRL comes from the solvent used in its preparation. From spectral studies, elemental analyses, and molecular weight determinations, some structural features of the average SRL molecule were deduced. Approximately 90 hydrogenation experiments were conducted for SRL and SRC conversion to gas and distillable liquid products using a standard set of reaction conditions for catalyst screening. Optimum conditions seemed to be 450/sup 0/C with initial hydrogen pressures of 1800 psi for non-solvent reactions and 2500 psi with solvent. The best catalyst, in terms of overall conversion and denitrogenation, was presulfided Ni-Mo-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ which gave approximately 90 percent conversion of SRL to 10 percent gases and 80 percent distillable liquids. Almost equally high conversion was obtained with SRC using the same reaction conditions.

Research Organization:
North Dakota Univ., Grand Forks (USA). Dept. of Chemistry
OSTI ID:
7320717
Report Number(s):
FE-1224-66
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English