Coal synthetic crude oils, chemicals

The olefins in coal synthetic crude oil are reactive and tend to form gums and undesirable deposits and may be removed for chemical synthesis or may undergo alkylation processes to form highly branched, high-octane gasoline. Alkylation is normally catalyzed by sulfuric or hydrofluoric acid and involves the reaction of an olefin with an alkane ... 

Caldwell, R. D. and Eyerman, S. M., "Chemicals from Coal-Derived Synthetic Crude Oils," Refining of Synthetic Crudes, edited by Martin L. Gorbaty and Brian M. Harney, Advances in Chemistry Series 179, American Chemical Society, Washington D.C., 1979 pp 145-158. 

Chemicals from Coal-Derived Synthetic Crude Oils... 

The hydroprocessing data for the COED coal-derived synthetic crude oil has been reduced to the point where the chemicals available from the distillate fractions of that oil can be determined see Table XI). 

It is a fact of modern society that many ordinary items of everyday use are obtained from complex chemical processes. Life-saving drugs, capsules and tablets, as well as perfumes, are derived from coal. From crude oil and petroleum gases, we obtain fertilisers, plastics, synthetic rubbers, pesticides, detergents, fabrics and coatings and paints. From seawater we can produce vital heavy chemicals including caustic soda, sodium chloride, sodium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid and so on. 

The chemical processes being used in the twenty-first century favor the indirect Fischer-Tropsch method of coal liquefaction. In this process, coal is initially subjected to very high heat to create a charred substance that can be combined with carbon dioxide and steam to produce a synthesis gas composed of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The gas is then chemically subjected to a metallic catalyst, which transforms it into a synthetic crude oil. The resultant synthetic oil can then be refined into the desired fuel. 

The major chemical difference between natural gas, crude oil, and coal is their hydrogen-to-carbon ratios. Coal is carbon-rich and hydrogen-poor, so to produce a synthetic liquid or gas from coal requires an increase in the hydrogen-to-carbon ratio. Coal s ratio of about 0.8 has to be raised to 1.4 to 1.8 for a... 

Coal, oil shale, and tar sand are complex carbonaceous raw materials and possible future energy and chemical sources. However, they must undergo lengthy and extensive processing before they yield fuels and chemicals similar to those produced from crude oils (substitute natural gas (SNG) and synthetic crudes from coal, tar sand and oil shale). These materials are discussed briefly at the end of this chapter. 

Surfactants are produced by various chemical routes, using either natural or synthetic raw materials as shown in Fig. 36.18. Natural raw materials include fats and oils derived from vegetable and animal sources. Synthetic raw materials include coal, crude oil, and natural... 

Benzene found in the environment is from both human activities and natural processes. Benzene was first discovered and isolated from coal tar in the 1800s. Today, benzene is made mostly from petroleum sources. Because of its wide use, benzene ranks in the top 20 in production volume for chemicals produced in the United States. Various industries use benzene to make other chemicals, such as styrene (for Styrofoam and other plastics), cumene (for various resins), and cyclohexane (for nylon and synthetic fibers). Benzene is also used for the manufacturing of some types of rubbers, lubricants, dyes, detergents, drugs, and pesticides. Natural sources of benzene, which include volcanoes and forest fires, also contribute to the presence of benzene in the environment. Benzene is also a part of crude oil and gasoline and cigarette smoke. For more information on the nature and uses of benzene, see Chapters 3 and 4. 

Asphaltene is an essential component of any dark-colored, heavy, viscous and nonvolatile oil, regardless of the oil source. Asphaltene can be obtained from the oil extracted from a naturally occurring organic-rich fossil material by a simple solvent fractionation. Asphaltene also can be obtained from the chemical conversion product of a solid fuel, such as pyrolysis or catalytic hydrogenation of coal or shale. The former is an example of the asphaltene isolated from native petroleum oil. An example of the latter is the asphaltene obtained from a synthetic crude, such as shale oil or coal liquid. 

Pitch is a carbonaceous solid that consists primarily of a complex mixture of polycyclic aromatic compounds [14]. Petroleum pitches are residues of crude oil distillation or of catalytic cracking of petroleum distillates. Coal tar pitches are products of the distillation of coal, whereas synthetic pitches are residues of the treatment of other organic substances. Irrespective of origin, all pitch products have complex chemical compositions. 

Crude petroleum is obviously vital to the rubber industry. All of the synthetic raw elastomers and the vast majority of the rubber compounding ingredients are directly dependent on petroleum as a feedstock. It is by far the most critical natural raw material for successful rubber production and fabrication. Without crude oil, at least in the short term, there would be no rubber industry as we know it today. There would be only natural rubber for the rubber base, no rubber accelerators, no effective antioxidants, no furnace carbon black reinforcement, and so on. In the long term, however, it would be possible to manufacture organic monomers and organic rubber chemicals from other carbon sources such as agricultural products and coal tar. However, this would result in major economic dislocations and require the development of a new infrastructure. 

Experience in class separations and analyses of fossil-derived materials began with the petroleum industry. The literature in this area is far too extensive to review here. Furthermore, petroleum literature deals principally with physical and chemical analyses of distillate fractions which are important to product characteristics. Recently, asphalts have received increased attention since they contain a wide range of known hazardous compounds. Most methods applied to whole samples of petroleum crudes have proven inadequate when dealing with synthetic coal liquids or shale oils because of stable emulsion formation in separation steps caused by larger amounts of inorganic and hydrophilic compounds. 

Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association. (SOCMA). Manufacturers of synthetic organic chemicals that are products manufactured from coal, natural gas, crude petroleum and certain natural substances such as vegetable oils, fats protein, carbohydrates, rosin, grain, and their derivatives. The address is 1850 M St N.W., Suite 700, Washington, DC 20036. Website http //www.socma.com. 

---