Great Plains Synfuels` hidden treasures
- Dakota Gasification Co., Beulah, ND (United States)
The Great Plains Synfuels Project was commissioned 12 years ago. While demonstrating success regarding SNG production, DGC quietly started development of chemical products derived from the liquid by-product streams of Lurgi moving bed gasifiers. Naphtha, crude phenol, and tar oil are the primary by-products, and these contain valuable compounds such as phenol, cresylic acid, catechols, naphthols, fluorene, and BTX. Process technologies have been developed for (1) separation of various impurities from cresylic acid distillate fractions or from whole cresylic acid; (2) extracting cresylic acid from tar oil; (3) conversion of tar pitch to a blend stock used in making anode binder pitch; and (4) separating high purity catechol and methyl catechols. As a result of this work, DGC built a phenol/cresylic acid facility. The cresylic acid side supplies over 10 percent of the world market. The achievement with the catechols is presently leading to bench scale routes for synthesis of chemical intermediates which ultimately may include compounds such as vanillin, pyrogallol, sesamol, homoveratrylamine, and many others, penetrating the fields of flavors and fragrances, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, photographic chemicals, dyes, etc. These efforts stimulate DGC`s growth and will provide an economic uplift. By-products already contribute more than 10% of revenues and are destined to rival natural gas in importance.
- OSTI ID:
- 504680
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960954-; TRN: IM9733%%95
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 13. annual international Pittsburgh coal conference, Pittsburgh, PA (United States), 3-7 Sep 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of Thirteenth annual international Pittsburgh coal conference: Proceedings. Volume 1; Chiang, S.H. [ed.]; PB: 786 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Catalytic hydrodeoxygenation studies of aromatic ethers, phenols, and oxygen-rich synfuels
Feasibility of producing jet fuel from GPGP (Great Plains Gasification Plant) by-products