Pittsburgh seam coal

H-Coal naphthas and distillates derived from Illinois No. 6 (Burning Star Mine) and Wyodak coals were supplied by Hydrocarbon Research, Inc. The naphthas and distillates were blended in the appropriate proportions to obtain a whole syncrude derived from each coal. Properties of these syncrudes are shown in Table I. For comparison, Table I also shows properties of the SRC-II syncrude used in the study described in the previous chapter. The SRC-II syncrude was derived from a West Virginia coal (Pittsburgh Seam, Blacksville No. 2 Mine of the consolidated Coal Company). The H-Coal and SRC-II syncrudes are not directly comparable because the coals used to derive these syncrudes differ. 

HIGH SULFUR BITUMINOUS COAL - PITTSBURGH SEAM... 

Coal. Pittsburgh seam coal was selected for the tests because of its commercial importance, its reputation as a typically strong caking coal, and easy access at our experimental mine at Bruceton, Pa. The maximum size of the coal treated (3/8 in.) was limited by the inside diameter of the treater (1.939 in.). During treatment the coal tends to become sticky while swelling to about 1-1/2 times its original size. 

It is estimated that approximately 0.9 to 2.1 m of reasonably compacted plant material was required to form 0.3 m of bituminous coal. Uifferent ranks of coal require different amounts of time. It has been estimated that the time required for deposition of peat sufficient to provide 0.3 m of the various ranks of coal was lignite, 160 years bituminous coal, 260 years and anthracite, 490 years. Another estimate indicates that a 2.4 m bed of Pittsburgh Seam (bituminous) coal required about 2,100 years for the deposition of necessaiy peat, while an anthracite bed with a thickness of 9.1 m required about 15,000 years. 

Table VI shows the analysis of the coals used in the combustion studies for mercury. P-3 is a Tebo and Weir seam mixture from Henry County, Missouri while DRB-E and MR are both Pittsburgh seam coals originating in Washington County, Pennsylvania. Table VII presents the results obtained with the 100-gram-per-hour combustor, and Table VIII presents the results obtained with the 500-pound-per-hour combustor.

Table XVI. Lead and Cadmium in a Pittsburgh Seam Coal ( 1 S.E.)a...

Table XVI shows the lead and cadmium content of one of the Pittsburgh seam coals used in the coal combustion study, and Table XVII shows the results obtained when the coal was combusted in the two experimental furnaces. Compared with mercury, a greater amount of both the cadmium and the lead were retained by the ash in both combustors.

Equilibrium Sorption Studios of Methane on Pittsburgh Seam and Pocahontas No. 3 Seam Coal... 

Channel samples of Pocahontas No. 3 seam (lvb), Bishop mine, Tazewell County, Va., and Pittsburgh seam (hvab), Pursglove No. 15 mine, Monongalia County, W. Va. coals were collected under nitrogen at the mine face and sent to Bruceton in a closed container filled with nitrogen. 

The density measurements given in Table II indicate that the Pittsburgh seam coal has a low pore volume compared with that of the Pocahontas coal. 

Gates from the flash and laser irradiation of Pittsburgh seam (hvab) coal were investigated to determine the action of high temperatures on coal. Temperatures in excess of 1000°C. were reached with both types of irradiation. Craters about 300 microns in diameter were produced in the coal with millisecond pulses from the laser unit rated at 1.7 joules output. Gaseous products from the laser and flash irradiations showed 21% and 8% acetylene, respectively. Diacetylene, vinylacetylene, and other products to molecular weight 130 were indicated in the mass spectrum of the gas from the laser study. The results indicated that the distributions of products obtained from the flash and laser irradiations of coal were different from that produced in high temperature carbonization. 

Figure 2. Laser irradiation of Pittsburgh seam (hvab) coal, 84% carbon ...

Table I. Gaseous Products from laser and Flash Irradiations and High Temperature Carbonization of Pittsburgh Seam (hvab) Coal...

Table IV. Hydrocarbons Produced by laser Irradiation of Pittsburgh Seam Coal in Vacuum ...

Samples Preparation. The coal liquids were derived from the catalytic liquefaction of Pittsburgh Seam bituminous and Wyoming sub-bituminous coals. The analysis of these coals is given in Table I. The coals were liquefied in a bench-scale catalytic unit using cyclone overhead product as recycle solvent to insure that the liquid products were derived from the coal and not the solvent. The product streams from... 

Coal Liquids. The two coal liquids contain about the same amount of material boiling below 470°F, very little saturates, and substantial amounts of aromatics, mainly di- + triaromatics (Table II). The liquids from the Big Horn coal, however, contain more aromatics and less resins, asphaltenes, and benzene insolubles than the liquids from Pittsburgh Seam coal. This is not surprising considering the fact that higher rank... 

The present paper presents batch autoclave data on the direct hydrocracking of a single sub-bituminous coal from the Powder River basin of southeastern Montana. Comparative data were also obtained with the Pittsburgh Seam bituminous coal that was used in the previous work (I). Data on the regeneration of simulated spent melts from such an operation are also given in a continuous bench-scale, fluidized-bed combustion unit. 

The highly fluid Pittsburgh Seam coal, on the other hand, does not require addition of a vehicle as the data of Table II show. As a matter of fact, superior results were obtained in the absence of a vehicle although the difference may arise from the fact that in one case a cleaned coal was used, i.e.9 the poorer results with the vehicle may reflect some adverse effect of the mineral matter on the hydrocracking process. Also, a somewhat lower catalyst/coal feed ratio was used in the run without a vehicle. 

Operation at these mild conditions is of interest where the objective is to produce low sulfur fuel oil in major amounts as a coproduct with gasoline. Previous work showed that 65-80% of the MEK solubles may be recovered from the spent melt by extraction with a fraction of the distillate oil product. The data of Table III, interestingly enough, show that the MEK soluble oil contains less than 0.2 wt % sulfur even when the high sulfur Pittsburgh Seam coal is used as feedstock. 

EUem (Ref 4) points out that Th, when alloyed with Ag, Cu. or Au, becomes much more ignitable, bursting into flame on rubbing. Th—Ag alloys in approx 1 1 proportions are actually self-igniting (Ref 5). M. Jacobson et al (Ref 2) indexed the explosibility of both Th and Th hydride dusts based on ign temp, spark energy for ign, min expin concn, expln press and rate of press rise as compared with Pittsburgh seam coal, and report that both of these dusts have severe explosibility indices of >10... 

Bruceton bituminous, a Pittsburgh Seam coal was used in the experiment. The chemical analyses of coal is given in Table I. The coal was dried in vacuum 343 K prior to use and stored in glass containers under nitrogen. 

Table V presents sulfur reduction data for two of the major coal seams in the region the Pittsburgh Seam and the Lower Kittanning Seam. Laboratory washability (float-and-sink) analyses of representative samples of these coals were used to determine potential sulfur reductions at various levels of cleaning. To assess the impact on regional SO2 emissions, sulfur reduction potentials were estimated for only those coals both produced and utilized in the Northern Appalachian Region. The "Present Level" of cleaning shown in the table represents estimated base-line values for the amount of sulfur in the coal product. These values take into consideration any coal cleaning that occurred, and are compared to coal sulfur contents that would result from more intense levels of cleaning. Each of the 11 major coal-producing seams in the region were evaluated in this manner.

The anticipated product slate from a typical commercial plant feeding 33,500 tons per stream day of dry coal is given in Table II. This product slate is based on conversion of a typical Pittsburgh seam coal from West Virginia. The ultimate analysis of the coal used as a design basis is given in Table III. 

Coal Mine Illinois 6 Monterey 1 Illinois 6 Burning Star 2 Pittsburgh Seam Ireland Wyoming Wyodak Texas Lignite Big Brown... 

Mineral matter was a Deis ter table concentrate from Robena mine coal. It contained 68% pyrite and less than 4% organic material. The remainder was largely clay. In one case, a handpicked sample taken from a pyrite nodule found in a Pittsburgh seam coal was used. The microcrystals were crushed and sieved to 325 x 400 mesh. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated the only major component was pyrite, with a trace of marcasite also present. After heating in tetralin at 450°C for 15 min., the X-ray diffraction patterns of the recovered microcrystals indicated conversion was complete to pyrrhotite 1C. The coal was hvB, Homestead Mine, Kentucky, ground to pass 200 mesh. Ash and pyrite contents were 16.8% and 4.9%, respectively. The asphaltene was a homogenized mixture of samples isolated from liquid products derived from Pittsburgh seam, hvA coal. Its ash content was <0.1%( ). 

Specimen Scrubber water from experimental liquefaction light oil (PETC, DCD 11, 1979), Pittsburgh Seam, Blacksville 2 coal. pH = 9.1 redox potential = -0.29 volt vs N.H.E. 

The Pittsburgh Seam (No. 8) Bituminous coal is from the Ireland Mine of the Consolidation Coal Company. 

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