CATALYTIC HYDROLIQUEFACTION OF COAL MACERALS - COMPARISON WITH RAW COAL

Catalytic hydroliquefactions (HL) of two coals (Freyming, France and P oint of Ayr, United Kingdom) and their macerals were studied in a micr oautoclave in the presence of an H-donor solvent (tetralin). The main results of the study were related to (i) a comparison between the beha viours of such coals or macerals in the HL process; the two raw coals showed the same total conversion, and similar wt% of oil, asphaltene a nd preasphaltene fractions, (ii) the contribution of each maceral to t he global coal liquid; the additive effect was checked, but no synerge tic effect was found (using HL and the present type of liquid phase an alysis) for a 'synthetic coal'. Raw coals, vitrite and exinite had the same total conversion, whereas that for fusite was much lower, and (i ii) a detailed identification of some individual compounds or of serie s of homologous compounds; this was made for oil fractions. 25% of the se fractions were able to be investigated by GC/MS, i.e. 5-10 wt% of t he initial coal. Concentrations of a large number of compounds were de termined and compared from one maceral to another, and general tendenc ies could be deduced.