Synthetic fuel industry, generation

Petroleum refining, also called petroleum processing, is the recovery and/or generation of usable or salable fractions and products from cmde oil, either by distillation or by chemical reaction of the cmde oil constituents under the effects of heat and pressure. Synthetic cmde oil, produced from tar sand (oil sand) bitumen, and heavier oils are also used as feedstocks in some refineries. Heavy oil conversion (1), as practiced in many refineries, does not fall into the category of synthetic fuels (syncmde) production. In terms of Hquid fuels from coal and other carbonaceous feedstocks, such as oil shale (qv), the concept of a synthetic fuels industry has diminished over the past several years as being uneconomical in light of current petroleum prices. 

Much has been said in the past about the problems of generating a synthetic fuels industry - an industry which may require as many as 100 major plants in the 1990 s (1 ) - not very long... 

Hydrogen has many and versatile uses It plays a significant role as a chemical feedstock for industrial and petrochemical processes, e.g., in the conversion of coal into clean synthetic fuels or in the generation of process heat. Furthermore it possesses a huge potential as a direct fuel for producing mechanical energy, heat, or electricity for a future large-scale use. 

Coal represents over 90 percent of the U.S proven reserves of fossil fuels, and can serve as a source of synthetic fuel for the petrochemical industry as well as a source of electric power production and process heat generation. About one-third of the world s coal reserves are present in the United States. The recoverable reserves of U.S. coal have been estimated to be 250 billion tons. Eastern U.S. coals are generally bituminous with a heating value of 10,000 to 15,000 Btu/lb. Bituminous coals comprise nearly one-half of the total U.S. coal reserves. The western as well as southwestern U.S. coals are mainly subbituminous (with a heating value of 9000-12,000 Btu/lb) and lignite (with a heating value of 8000-10,000 Btu/lb). 

A minor part of mined fossil fuels is used as a raw material for the chemical industry (e.g., plastics, synthetic fabrics, carbon black, ammonia, and fertilizers). The major part supplies the energy needs for modem society. Fossil fuels supply about 86% of global primary energy consumption (39% oil, 24% coal, and 23% natural gas), providing energy for transportation, electricity generation, and industrial, commercial, and residential uses (El A 2001). Coal, and to a lesser extent oil, combustion leaves a significant amount of solid waste. The treatment of solid waste from fossil fuel combustion is treated in different chapters of this book. In this chapter we focus on air emissions of fossil fuel combustion, and their impact on human health and the environment. 

The fuels that are derived from petroleum supply more than half of the world s total supply of energy. Gasoline, kerosene, and diesel oil provide fuel for automobiles, tractors, tmcks, aircraft, and ships. Fuel oil and natural gas are used to heat homes and commercial buildings, as well as to generate electricity. Petroleum products are the basic materials used for the manufacture of synthetic fibers for clothing and in plastics, paints, fertilizers, insecticides, soaps, and synthetic rubber. The uses of petroleum as a source of raw material in manufacturing are central to the functioning of modem industry. 

While it is tme that the majority of organometallic catalysts are generated in situ, reliable synthetic procedures are available. Reference monographs [1, 2] can be consulted for details. Large-scale preparations are rarely described in the literature, mainly because the respective companies keep their know-how secret. Beyond that, little has been revealed in patents. In this Section, the industrial catalyst ferrocene 1, an important catalytic fuel additive, is described. 

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