Ethylene glycol production from coal

South Africa. Sasol produces many products from coal-derived syngas, including ethylene, propylene, a-olefins, alcohols, and ketones. They have also increased their production of methanol, synthetic lubricants, detergent alcohols, acrylic acid and acrylates, oxo-alcohols, styrene and polystyrene, propylene oxide, and propylene glycol. 

With the increase in H/C ratio one would expect a decrease in /. These values were obtained for the chloroform-soluble fractions of the products by NMR and are listed in Table IV. From the C NMR spectra (Figure 4) the for product 1 was determined to be 0.50. This same coal has been shown by florination to have an of approximately 0.69 (17). The attachment of ethylene glycol groups (ROCH2CH2-O-Coal) was determined to be 5.1% of carbons from the integration of the peaks in the 55-65-ppm region. We found these peaks to be absent in other coal products such as SRC. However, these data do not exclude the reaction of ethylene (CH2=CH2) with the coal as mentioned by Ouchi... 

Clearly, the slate of chemicals produced from coal-derived synthesis gas will expand as new technologies are developed, and supplies of petroleum and natural gas dwindle. The most likely such chemicals are those for which existing processes have been demonstrated but which presently lack economic merit. Relatively small improvements in technology, shifts in feedstock availability, capital costs, or political factors could enhance the viability of coal-based processes for the production of methanol, ethanol, and higher alcohols, vinyl acetate, ethylene glycol, carboxylic acids, and light olefins. 

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