NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE REACTIONS OF LOW RANK COALS WITH CARBON MONOXIDE AND WATER

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the new developments in the reactions of low-rank coals with carbon monoxide and water. In a study described in the chapter, reactions were carried out either in microautoclaves (35 ml) or in a 300 ml-stirred Autoclave Engineers reactor with a hot charge facility. Reactions in the microautoclaves involved coal (1 g), water (1 to 4 ml), and CO (3 MPa). The autoclaves were immersed in a preheated sand bath and were agitated at 200 cycles per min. Runs in the 300 ml autoclaves involved charging the reactor with carbon monoxide (3 MPa) and heating up to ca. 25°C above reaction temperature. A fraction of the total water (ca. 15 ml) was then charged into the reactor followed by a slurry of coal treated or untreated (15 g) in water (ca. 45 ml). The chapter presents the conversions to THF-soluble products for microautoclave reactions of the Morwell coal under standard conditions at varying temperatures and times. Very high conversions to THF soluble products were obtained after 10 min for reactions at 375 and 395°C. High yields for reaction at 355°C required longer reaction times.