Reaction of methane with coal

• Published in: Fuel (Guildford) Vol. 76; no. 12; pp. 1105 - 1115
• Main Authors: Yang, Kezhan, Batts, Barry D., Wilson, Michael A., Gorbaty, Martin L., Maa, Peter S., Long, Mervyn A., He, Simon X.J., Attalla, Moetaz I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 1997; Elsevier
• Subjects: aluminophosphates; Applied sciences; coal; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Fuel processing. Carbochemistry and petrochemistry; Fuels; methane; Solid fuel processing (coal, coke, brown coal, peat, wood, etc.); zeolites; methane; aluminophosphates; coal; zeolites; Methane; Pyrolysis; Catalysts; Hydrogen; Coal liquefaction; Yield; Aluminum Phosphates; Zeolites
• ISSN: 0016-2361; 1873-7153
• DOI: 10.1016/S0016-2361(97)00134-8

The reactivities of Australian coals and one American coal with methane or methane-hydrogen mixtures, in the range 350–400°C and a range of pressures (6.0–8.3 MPa, cold) have been examined. The effects of aluminophosphates (AlPO) or zeolite catalysts, with and without exchanged metals, on reactivity have also been examined. Yields of dichloromethane extractable material are increased by using a methane rather than a nitrogen atmosphere and different catalysts assist dissolution to various extents. It appears that surface exchanged catalysts are effective, but incorporating metals during AlPO lattice formation is detrimental. Aluminium phosphate catalysts are unstable to water produced during coal conversion, but are still able to increase extraction yields. For the American coal, under methane-hydrogen and a copper exchanged zeolite, 51.5% conversion was obtained, with a product selectivity close to that obtained under hydrogen alone, and with only 2% hydrogen consumption. The conversion under methane-hydrogen was close to that obtained under hydrogen alone, while a linear dependence of conversion on proportion of methane would predict a 43% conversion under methane-hydrogen. This illustrates a synergistic effect of the methane-hydrogen atmosphere for coal liquefaction using this catalyst system.