TITLE: Novel Experimental Studies for Coal Liquefaction: Quarterly Progress Report, October 1, 1987-December 31, 1987.

AUTHOR: G. D. Holder;   J. W. Tierney.

INST.  AUTHOR: Pittsburgh Univ., PA.

SPONSOR: Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

LANGUAGE: English

PUB.  TYPE: Technical Report

PUB.  COUNTRY: United States

SOURCE: Department of Energy [DE],  1987,  65p.

NTIS ORDER NO.: DE88006827/INW

ABSTRACT:

Experimental work is presently being concentrated on a two-step synthesis of methanol from CO and H sub 2 Which consists of the carbonylation of a molecule of methanol to methyl formate followed by hydrogenation to form two molecules of methanol. Carrying out both reactions concurrently gives different results than predicted. One explanation is interaction between the two catalysts. Since one catalyst is homogeneous and the other heterogeneous, the interaction, due to absorption of the homogeneous catalyst on the heterogeneous one, at room temperature was measured and found to be significant. Measurements of mass transfer cooefficients from gas phase to liquid phase for systems containing H sub 2 , CO, methanol and methyl formate were made to verify that the reaction rate data being obtained are not influenced by mass transfer limitations. Mass transfer rates in the experimental reactor are a least 1000 times larger than reaction rates and hence are not rate limiting. Modeling of the unsteady state slurry phase Fischer-Tropsch reaction continued in order to investigate interactions among the Fischer-Tropsch reactions, the thermal effects, and the water gas shift reaction. A computer program for solution of the reaction equations was written. Also included in this report is the entire program for evaluating mass transfer coefficients under supercritical conditions is described and a review of current knowledge and planned correlational approaches is given. 61 refs., 22 figs, 7 tabs.  (ERA citation 13:029846)

REPORT  NUMBER: DOE/PC/71257-T14

CONTRACT  NUMBER: FG22-84PC71257