Biogasification of coal to methane and other useful products

摘要

Method of bioconversion of coal to methane, carbon dioxide, and other valuable gaseous and liquid products in a multi-step process that may include particle size reduction, separation of non-coal materials, addition of chemicals, and multi-stage anaerobic fermentation are disclosed.

主权项

1. A process for converting coal ex situ, comprising:
(a) treating coal with a liquid that solubilizes at least a portion of the coal to form a product that is a substrate for a hydrolytic microbial population, (b) treating at least a portion of the product of step (a) with the hydrolytic microbial population to produce a product containing fatty acids or fatty acid esters, and (c) treating at least a liquid portion of the product from step (b) with an anaerobic microbial population that generates methane to produce a product containing methane, wherein steps (a), (b) and (c) are performed separately.