Coal Liquefaction

Coal Liquefaction

Book Review Coal Liquefaction D. Duayrle Whitehurst, Farcasiu Thomas 0. Mitchell Academic Press, London, 1981, 370 pp.+6 .f13 and Malvina page in...

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Book Review Coal Liquefaction D. Duayrle Whitehurst, Farcasiu

Thomas

0. Mitchell

Academic Press, London, 1981, 370 pp.+6 .f13

and Malvina

page index,

The title of this book is somehat misleading although the subtitle (The Chemistry and Technology of Thermal Processes’ does rule out the inclusion of catalytic processes such as the H-Coal process and the ‘Synthoil process. Its subject matter is almost solely concerned with the research work carried out since 1975 by Mobil Research and Development Corporation (MRDC), with, in some projects, the assistance of academic workers, on the effects of process variables on the yields and nature of the products obtained in the SRC-1 and SRC-II processes, Other thermal coal conversion processes such as hydropyrolysis and flash pyrolysis are not mentioned. The main experimental techniques used in the of these products were: (a) the examination characterization of the solvent-relined coal (SRC) by a solid/liquid chromatographic procedure which the authors label ‘Sequential Elution by Specific Solvent Chromatography’ (SESC); (b) the fractionation of the recycle solvents by a similar procedure designated ‘Recycle Solvent Multiple Chromatography’ (RSMC); and (c) the examination of the residual undissolved coal and char by photo- and electron micrography, by reflectance and by Fourier Transform infrared

spectroscopy. The authors’ claim that SESC and RSMC separate the SRC and recycle solvents into fractions on the basis of chemical functionality rather than molecular weight, is supported by convincing evidence and these methods should prove of general value in characterizing coal-derived liquids regardless of how they are generated. If the subject matter is more restricted than the title suggests, the sheer volume of experimental evidence, derived from the MRDC programme and other published work, is impressive. The 370 page book contains 176 graphs and figures, 76 tables of experimental results and 39 photo- and electron micrographs. The style is that of an elementary research report, but the mass of results and the authors’ conclusions are difficult to understand after one reading. Also, the fact that in many of the experiments the conditions of the SRC are not given, makes understanding difficult. Although this book will be of value, more for its abundance of experimental data than for its deductions and conclusions, to those research workers directly engaged in coal liquefaction/hydrogenation studies, it seems unlikely that the hopes expressed by the senior author in his preface that it will recommend itself to ‘chemists and engineers just entering the field of synthetic fuels from coal’ or ‘serve as a supplemental text in college courses on alternative energy studies’, will be fulfilled. The book is well produced by direct photographic reproduction from typescript whch probably accounts for its comparatively modest price. Donald McNeil

Announcement

FUEL - 60 Year Index (1922-l 982) Compiled

by: I. G. C. Dryden and M. Griffith

We are pleased to announce that this index has now been published and that one copy is currently being sent to all readers with a 1982 journal subscription. However, additional copies of the index may be obtained separately and are available at E7.50 or $(US) 19.50 each from: Sheila Smith Butterworth Scientific Limited - Journals Division PO Box 63, Westbury House, Bury Street, Guildford Surrey GU2 5BH, England Telephone 0483 3 1261 Telex 859556 Scitec G

FUEL,

1982,

Vol

61, May

485