751.    DUFF, D. M.  Coal Gasification Rather Than Hydrogenation Urged.  Oil Gas Jour., vol. 46, No. 40, 1948, pp. 39, 129.

     P. C. Keith, in a recent talk at a meeting of the Natural Gasoline Association of America, proposes  “coal gasification rather than expensive, inefficient coal hydrogenation,” as a means of meeting the existing shortage of fuels.  Use of 100,000,000 tons of coal per year in a noncatalytic, relatively simple, gas-from-coal process originally developed by the Germans and now under pilot-plant operation in Trenton, N. J., would replace the 350,000,000 bbl. of petroleum fuels, which the residual and distillate heating market is estimated to require annually by 1950.  This shift, coupled with the 650,000 bbl. of liquid fuels per day considered as available from natural-gas conversion, might bridge the 2,000,000-bbl. daily gap, which has been mentioned by Government authorities.  A program for the wholesale conversion of coal to liquid fuels, either by high-pressure hydrogenation or low-pressure Hydrocol process is unwise and ill-advised at present.  Thermal efficiency of the coal-to-liquid-fuel processes is basically low (not over 45%) and there is a serious question if the tremendous quantities of coal required are readily available.