Coal liquefaction by hydrogenation of coal-solvent slurry - using catalyst bed with defined void volume

摘要

Process for converting a solid carbonaceous feed (esp. bituminous or subbituminous coal or lignite) into liq. products comprises treating a slurry of the feed in an H-donor solvent with H2 in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst. The slurry is passed through the void spaces of a bed of catalyst particles having a max. wall thickness of 0.08-1.27 (pref. 0.08-0.64) cm., the bed having a reactor void vol. of 40-90 (pref. 50-80) vol.%. The catalyst particles can be, e.g. round or square cylinders with one or more axial internal passages and/or external grooves. The width of the passages or grooves is pref. 0.16-2.54 (esp. 0.32-1.27) cm. and the ratio of length to outside dia. of the particles is pref. 0.1-5:1 (esp. 0.3-2:1). The active component of the catalyst is pref. a sulphided combination of Group Vi and VIII metals (esp. Mo, Ni and Co). The H-donor solvent can be a recycled coal-derived liq. fraction, anthracene oil and/or polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and their hydrogenation products, opt. mixed with phenol and/or cresol. High conversions can be maintained without any significant increase in the pressure drop in the catalyst bed.