Studies in coal liquefaction with application to the SRC and related processes. Quarterly report, January-March 1978

Abstract

This report describes work done to better understand and improve the Solvent Refined Coal and related liquefaction processes. A new, short-residence-time, catalytic, two-stage SRC process has been evaluated. Two stage catalytic SRC processing was found to be more selective for desulfurization than (catalytic or non-catalytic) single stage SRC processing, by using low reaction temperature, short residence times, the ash of SRC residue as a first stage catalyst, and Co-Mo-Al as a second stage catalyst. Coal minerals were again observed to be strongly involved in rehydrogenation of solvent and in hydrogenation of coal-derived liquid products, and in liquefaction studies using physically separated coal samples from Pittsburgh Energy Research Center. In the presence of about 3% CaO, the liquefaction yield was lowered about 20 to 30%. CaO inhibited the coal liquefaction reaction in that it reduced the hydrogen transfer reaction-hydrogenation (based on benzene solubles). Representative coal minerals such as Fe, pyrite, and SRC residue ash showed significant catalytic activity in hydrodenitrogenation of benzonitrile to toluene (about 30 to 40% conversion). Six arbitrary fractions of the THF soluble portions of SRC were obtained by the GPC elution and were characterized by using various instrumental analyses such as HPLC, GC, MS, Fluoroescence and uvmore » spectroscopy, and FTIR. Separate abstracts were prepared for two sections.« less