Claims
- 1. In a process for liquefying a particulate coal feed to produce useful petroleum-like liquid products by the steps of
- (a) contacting, in a liquefaction zone, said coal feed with a hydrogen donor solvent at temperature and pressure sufficient to hydroconvert and liquefy the coal,
- (b) separating the product from the liquefaction zone into fractions inclusive of a C.sub.1 -700.degree. F. liquid hydrocarbon fraction and a liquid solvent fraction which contains at least 30 weight percent hydrogen donor compounds,
- (c) hydrogenating said liquid solvent fraction in a hydrogenation zone, and
- (d) recycling the hydrogenated liquid solvent mixture to said coal liquefaction zone,
- the improvement comprising
- contacting the C.sub.1 -700.degree. F. liquid hydrocarbon fractions with an aqueous alkaline medium to form a hydrocarbon phase and an aqueous extract phase which contains an admixture of indigenous phenolic compounds,
- neutralizing said aqueous extract phase with acid,
- contacting said neutralized aqueous phase with hydrogen peroxide to introduce hydroxyl groups into the nuclei of the phenolic compounds to convert said phenolic compounds into hydroquinones which can function in a coal liquefaction zone as a quinone catalyst, and then
- recycling said hydroquinones, with said hydrogenated liquid solvent mixture, to said coal liquefaction zone to catalyze the coal liquefaction reaction.
- 2. The process of claim 1 wherein the liquid hydrocarbon fraction contacted with the alkaline medium is a C.sub.1 -400.degree. F. fraction.
- 3. The process of claim 1 wherein the C.sub.1 -700.degree. F. liquid hycrocarbon fraction is contacted with the alkaline medium at temperatures ranging from about 30.degree. to about 210.degree. F.
- 4. The process of claim 1 wherein hydrogen peroxide contacted with the aqueous phase to introduce the hydroxyl groups into the nuclei of the phenolic compounds is admixed with an organic carboxylic acid.
- 5. The process of claim 4 wherein the organic carboxylic acid is one containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and one carboxylic acid group.
- 6. The process of claim 5 wherein the organic carboxylic acid is formic acid.
- 7. The process of claim 1 wherein the liquid solvent fraction contains at least 50 weight percent of hydrogen donor compounds.
- 8. The process of claim 7 wherein the liquid solvent fraction is one boiling within about a 350.degree. to 850.degree. F. range.
- 9. The process of claim 1 wherein the admixture of hydroquinone compounds is added to the hydrogenated liquid recycle solvent in concentration ranging from about 0.01 to about 5 percent, based on the weight of the feed before recycling.
- 10. The process of claim 9 wherein the admixture of hydroquinone compounds is added in a concentration within the range from about 0.1 to about 2 percent.
RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. Nos. 686,813 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,536; 686,814 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,537; 686,827 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,012. and 686,828, filed May 17, 1976.
US Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
3700583 |
Salamony et al. |
Oct 1972 |
|
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
686813 |
May 1976 |
|