What is Coal Liquefaction?

[ralphhugh]

Coal liquefaction is the conversion of coal to produce synthetic fuels. To convert coal to synthetic fuels, a process has been developed that requires the coal to be in contact with a hydrogen environment at high temperatures and pressures.

 

The major objective of coal liquefaction is to produce synthetic oil to supplement the natural sources of petroleum. Liquid and solid products from coal can be used for fueling transportation vehicles, providing fuels for power generation, and yielding raw materials for chemicals. Coal-liquefaction plants will be expensive, but their products should be very competitive when world oil production declines.

[CaptainPanic]

First step is coal gasification. Second step is a Fischer Tropsch reaction.

Chemically, it goes:

Coal --> synthesis gas --> linear hydrocarbons (alkanes and alkenes (also known as paraffins and olefins))

 

I just wrote something about this technology's history in the other thread (where it was off topic, so good job opening the new thread!), so I'll quote myself.

Coal liquefaction has existed for a long time. It has already been scaled up decades ago. Perhaps it would take a few years to design, construct and commission a new factory in the USA... But it has been applied economically (and still is) by SASOL in South Africa since 1955. The real scale up came in the 1980's. Although perhaps they initially started this because (1) there was an oil embargo, and (2) coal is really cheap in South Africa, the situation is different now, and they still produce liquid fuels from coal on a huge scale, and in more than 1 factory. (Ok, coal still is relatively cheap there, and they practically built the factory on top of a coal mine).

 

The newer challenge is to do a similar reaction (gasification, Fischer Tropsch) with biomass. This is a little harder, because the variation in biomass can be quite large.

[iNow]

The word "coal," regardless of form (solid or liquified), really should be thought of more like the word "methamphetamine." It's bad stuff, and is only used and promoted by stupid tweakers.

[mooeypoo]

Coal liquefaction is the conversion of coal to produce synthetic fuels. To convert coal to synthetic fuels, a process has been developed that requires the coal to be in contact with a hydrogen environment at high temperatures and pressures.

 

The major objective of coal liquefaction is to produce synthetic oil to supplement the natural sources of petroleum. Liquid and solid products from coal can be used for fueling transportation vehicles, providing fuels for power generation, and yielding raw materials for chemicals. Coal-liquefaction plants will be expensive, but their products should be very competitive when world oil production declines.

For the sake of fairness (and legality) of copyright, please be advised that these paragraphs are taken almost exclusively from this source: http://www.meign.com/chinese/CoalLiquefaction.htm

 

Please avoid plagiarism.