Ikelic - Alliance Digital Repository

COAL
centrate has the highest solubility in toluene and
the lowest solubility in ethyl acetate.
The rate of resin extraction from the resin con
centrate is significantly affected by both particle
size and extraction temperature. The finer the
particle size the higher the extraction rate. The
rate for heptane extraction significantly increases
with an increase in extraction temperature (from
0C to 60C). Therefore, a moderate extraction
temperature (about 60C) should be considered
for the continuous extraction circuit in order to
maximize yield and minimize extraction time.
In summary, improved process technology is
under development for the differential solvent
refining
of fossil resin concentrates in order to
produce a premium resin product and enhance
the commercial value of these wasted fossil resin
resources.
####
INTERNATIONAL
BRITISH GAS/OSAKA GAS HYDROGENATOR
READY FOR SCALEUP
A highly efficient, clean, and flexible coal
hydrogenation process is being developed jointly
by British Gas pic and Osaka Gas Company of
Japan. At the heart of the process is a novel
entrained-flow reactor capable of accepting a
wide range of coals (Figure 1). The current
status of development of the process was
reviewed at the 1 1th Annual Pittsburgh Coal Con
ference by D. Brown and H. Gray of British Gas
and F. Noguchi of Osaka Gas.
The concept of this form of coal hydrogenation
reactor originated at British Gas in the
early 1980s. In 1986 British Gas and Osaka Gas
entered into a development agreement on coal
hydrogenation. Three phases of work have since
taken place. The first phase comprised a
program of physical modeling and pilot plant
work which successfully demonstrated the reac
4-30
Hydrogen
FIGURE 1
BRITISH GAS/OSAKA GAS
COAL HYDROGENATOR
Coal--=
SOURCE: BROWN ETAL.
Char
Char catch
Product gas
tor design concept at a scale of 5 tonnes per day
coal. A number of coals were tested in the pilot
plant over a wide range of operating conditions
providing high yields of both methane and high
value liquids such as benzene. Product distribu
tions were easily varied by simple manipulation
of the reactor operating conditions.
During
the second phase the pilot plant was
operated for an extended period suggesting that
commercial reactors should be able to operate
without difficulty.
The third phase comprised a program of large-
scale physical modeling providing information
toward the design of a 50-tonne per day
demonstration reactor. This is the next logical
development step. In addition, an independent
contractor's study of the commercial viability of
the process has been carried out and a mathe
matical model has been developed for process
optimization and scaleup.
THE SYNTHETIC FUELS REPORT, JANUARY 1995