Integrated process of coal tar upgrading and in-situ reduction of Fe2O3

Abstract Producing light fuels or valuable chemicals from coal tar is an important strategy to achieve the high value-added utilization of coal tar. This study proposed an integrated process of coal tar upgrading and in-situ reduction of Fe 2 O 3 . The effect of reaction temperature on the product distribution, coal tar component, and crystal phase transition of Fe 2 O 3 were investigated. It is shown that increase of reaction temperature leads to increase production of H 2 or CH 4 rich gas and decrease of tar. Tar analysis revealed that more polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are formed along with the decrease of H/C ratio. The crystal phase transition from oxidation to reduction state can be detected on spent Fe 2 O 3 . The reduction degree of Fe 2 O 3 is closely associated with the reaction temperature. Coke deposited on the spent Fe 2 O 3 can be used as reducing agent, producing Fe 3 C when it was treated under N 2 atmosphere. This study provides an integrated method of producing valuable aromatic compounds from coal tar as well as reduction process of Fe 2 O 3 for steelmaking industry.