Refining of coal liquids

UOP and Chevron have both produced numerous reports which are detailed in the list of references. These contain a substantial amount of data for the refining of coal liquids and shale oil. From this work we have concluded that ... 

Fant, B.T. Barton, W.J., Refining of Coal Liquids, presented at the API 43rd Mid-year Meeting, Toronto, Canada,... 

Several processes have been developed for coal liquefaction. Large-scale pilot plants have been in operation for the solvent-refining coal (SRC) process, and a pilot plant is being constructed for the H-Coal process, which is a direct catalytic process. Construction of demonstration plants is under consideration. The coal liquids produced from the current processes contain large amounts of residual fuels. They probably will be used initially as boiler fuels for stationary power plants. However, the nitrogen content of coal liquids is much higher than the petroleum residual fuels. The sulfur contents of coal liquids can vary considerably they depend on the type of coal and the liquefaction process used. Current coal liquefaction processes are capable of produc-... 

Liquid products from coal are generally different from those produced by petroleum refining, particularly as they can contain substantial amounts of phenols. Therefore, there will always be some question about the place of coal liquids in refining operations. For this reason, there have been some investigations on the next-step processing of coal liquids (Steedman, 1989). 

Thus, while current refinery technology may suffice to a point for the refining of the liquid and solid products from liquefaction processes, there are many aspects of the operation that may need some modification when the products from coal become a major refinery feedstock. Of course, this may dictate the creation and evolution of a completely new refining technology. 

Using microbore LC columns, a separation method was developed for a series of weakly basic cyclic and noncyclic secondary amines, which were identified as components of coal-derived solvents. As shown in another study, using normal HPLC on silica gel with Freon-113 elution, model mixtures of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons and nonpolar constituents can be separated in coal-liquefaction process solvents. Encouraging results were obtained on both semipreparative (4.6 mm i.d.) and microbore (1 mm i.d.) columns. According to further reports, carbamate pesticides, polymer additives and solvent-refined coal were analysed, and the components of bergamot oil can be identified. GPC/FT-IR can be used to detect components of cold-rolling oil and to analyse polymers, whereas SEC/FT-IR can be applied to the analysis of coal liquids and to improve detection and identification of proteins. 

J. G. Sikonia, B. R. Shah, and M. A. Ulowet2, "Technical and Economic Assessment of Petroleum, Heavy OH, Shale Oil and Coal Liquid Refining," paper presented at Sjnfuels 3rd Worldwide Symposium, Washington, D.C., Nov. 1—3,1983. 

Our complex modern life style was made possible by the discovery and refining of fossil fuels, fuels that are the result of the decay of organic matter laid down millions of years ago. The natural gas that heats our homes, the gasoline that powers our automobiles, and the coal that provides much of our electrical power are fossil fuels. Vast reserves of petroleum, the source of liquid hydrocarbon fuels such as gasoline and coal, exist in many areas of the world. However, although large, these reserves are limited, and we are using them up at a much faster rate than they can be replaced. 

Selected Properties of the Motor Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Refined from Fe-HTFT Syncrude and Coal Liquids at Sasol 2, Which Were Marketed as Final Products in South Africa in the 1980s... 

DOE. 1986a. Comparative toxieity of crude and refined coal liquids and analogous petroleum products I. Chronic dermal toxicity in mice. Contract no. DE-AC05-84OR21400. Washington, DC U.S. Department of Energy. Doeument no. DE86004762. 

Griest WH, Ho CH, Guerin MR, et al. 1986. Comparative toxicity of crude and refined coal liquids and analogous petroleum products 11. Chemical characterization. Prepared Papers of the American Chemical Society, Division of Fuel Chemistry 31(2)189-195. 

Heavy oil may also be displaced by coal, natural gas (in relatively good supply in Canada imtil about the year 2000) and electricity. Interfuel substitution of heavy oil by solid fuels - coal and wood - is estimated to have a potential to replace about 2% of the liquid fuel consumption of Ontario (or about 10% of the heavy oil consumption). Additional refining costs would be incurred in converting the heavy oil to gasoline. 

Of the many factors which influence product yields in a fluid catalytic cracker, the feed stock quality and the catalyst composition are of particular interest as they can be controlled only to a limited extent by the refiner. In the past decade there has been a trend towards using heavier feedstocks in the FCC-unit. This trend is expected to continue in the foreseeable future. It is therefore important to study how molecular types, characteristic not only of heavy petroleum oil but also of e.g. coal liquid, shale oil and biomass oil, respond to cracking over catalysts of different compositions. 

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