Characteristics of in situ coal gasification liquids from a cretaceous coal
The concept of harnessing energy from fossil fuel by gasification of coal in the ground has been revived with the aim to increase usuable coal reserves and to minimize the environmental impacts of mining and other problems. We report here the characteristics of liquids formed as a by-product of an underground gasification pilot test burn of a Cretaceous coal seam at a central Alberta location. The simplicity of the composition of liquids produced suggests that in situ coal gasification may be an economically viable source of refinery feeds or fuel.
Survey of Alternative Feedstocks for Commodity Chemical Manufacturing
The current high prices for petroleum and natural gas have spurred the chemical industry to examine alternative feedstocks for the production of commodity chemicals. High feedstock prices have driven methanol and ammonia production offshore. The U.S. Chemical Industry is the largest user of natural gas in the country. Over the last 30 years, alternatives to conventional petroleum and natural gas feedstocks have been developed, but have limited, if any, commercial implementation in the United States. Alternative feedstocks under consideration include coal from unconventional processing technologies, such as gasification and liquefaction, novel resources such as biomass, stranded natural gas from unconventional reserves, and heavy oil from tar sands or oil shale. These feedstock sources have been evaluated with respect to the feasibility and readiness for production of the highest volume commodity chemicals in the United States. Sources of organic compounds, such as ethanol from sugar fermentation and bitumen-derived heavy crude are now being primarily exploited for fuels, rather than for chemical feedstocks. Overall, government-sponsored research into the use of alternatives to petroleum feedstocks focuses on use for power and transportation fuels rather than for chemical feedstocks. Research is needed to reduce cost and technical risk. Use of alternative feedstocks is moremore » common outside the United States R&D efforts are needed to make these processes more efficient and less risky before becoming more common domestically. The status of alternative feedstock technology is summarized.« less
The smaller molecules obtainable from coal and their significance: Part 4. Composition of low-temperature tars
Abstract The compositions of the volatile products from Gray—King low-temperature carbonization assays of five coals are considered, with reference to our previous work showing the relations of the hydrocarbons and the oxygen-containing structures in coal to those in such products.