Integrated Processes for the Conversion of Coal to Chemicals

摘要

Integrated processes are disclosed for the conversion of coal containing mercury compounds, hydrocarbon-containing compounds, sulfur-containing compounds and nitrogen-containing compounds to chemicals in which coal is heated to remove mercury components, pyrolyzed to remove sulfur-containing and nitrogen-containing compounds and then gasified to provide syngas, and syngas is bioconverted to liquid product.

主权项

1. A process for the conversion of coal containing mercury compounds, hydrocarbon-containing compounds, sulfur-containing compounds and nitrogen-containing compounds to chemicals comprising:
a. drying particulate coal at a temperature less than about 200° C. resulting in a water vapor overhead; b. heating the dried coal to a temperature to between about 200° C. and 320° C. to remove mercury from the coal by volatilization and provide a heated coal; c. thermally treating the heated coal at a temperature between about 430° C. to about 700° C. for a time sufficient to release vaporous organic compounds to provide a pyrolyzed coal having a reduced hydrogen content and a vapor stream containing released organic compounds, said thermal treatment being sufficient to reduce the concentration of sulfur-containing and nitrogen-containing components in the coal being thermally treated; d. combusting at least a portion of the vapor stream of step (c) to provide a hot exhaust stream wherein said at least a portion of the vapor stream is maintained substantially at or above the temperature of the thermal treating until combusted; e. gasifying the pyrolyzed coal in the presence of steam under gasification conditions to provide an ash fraction and a syngas, wherein at least a portion of heat energy in the hot exhaust stream of step (d) provides indirect heat for gasification; f. cooling by indirect heat exchange the syngas from step (e) and generate steam; g. passing at least a portion of the cooled syngas to at least one fermenter containing an aqueous medium having microorganisms capable of bioconverting syngas to oxygenated organic compounds, said fermenter being under fermentation conditions, to provide an aqueous medium containing said oxygenated organic compounds and an off gas; and h. continuously or intermittently withdrawing at least a portion of the aqueous medium from the fermenter and recovering oxygenated organic compounds therefrom by distillation from the aqueous medium wherein steam from step (f) provides heat for the distillation.