Separation and Characterization of Coal-Derived Liquids

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Coal is a fuel whose full potential has not yet been exploited in spite of the fact that liquid hydrocarbons have been produced from coal for nearly two centuries. Currently, processes of conversion to liquid fuels are being developed in several countries that will depend on coal as a major source of energy in the near future. Analyses of products of coal liquefaction is needed to assess process efficacy, to understand conversion mechanisms with the purpose of optimizing liquid yields, and to control product quality Coal-derived liquids (CDL) are very complex mixtures of widely different, predominantly aromatic compounds. A prerequisite for efficient chemical characterization of coal liquids is separation into fractions enriched in chemically similar species. Fractionation is achieved by taking advantage of either the different solubilities of components in solvents or applying chromatographic methods based on sorption, steric exclusion, or ion exchange effects Development of coal liquefaction technology has also created a need for additional analytical methodology. In many cases, chemical characterization of CDL has borrowed heavily from the petroleum industry, using modifications of routine analytical techniques or modern spectrophotometric procedures.