Pretreated coals hydrogasification

First-stage hydrogasification, at 1200° to 1300°F., with pretreated coal as the feed. 

We mounted samples of feed coal in epoxy resin under hydraulic pressure as described by Cole and Berry (2). An apparatus and procedure for vacuum-mounting the fragile chars was developed ana is described elsewhere (8). Samples of pretreated coal and hydrogasification residue were sieved, and tests were made on the sieve fractions to avoid error from size segregation. 

Particles from a run in which untreated coal was fed were also examined. This coal was from Pittsburgh No. 8 seam but from a different mine—Consolidation Coal Co/s Montour 4 mine. The hydrogasification reaction was conducted entirely in 18 feet of free fall. The run could not be completed because of gradual caking of coal in the feed tube and in the reactor. However, the structure of the residue that was obtained is of interest (Figure 4). It is much more uniform in appearance and reflectance than residues from runs with pretreated coal. Almost all of the particles have a degenerate foam structure—i.e., they are filled with... 

Methanation Section Test Conditions. To date, the HYGAS pilot plant has been operated with Montana lignite coal feed. This lignite is a low sulfur (usually less than 1 wt % ) coal which has good reactivity for hydrogasification. The coal is nonagglomerating (thus eliminating the need for pretreatment), and it represents the lowest rank of U. S. coals that are available for conversion to substitute natural gas. 

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