1997. ---------------. [KRUG, J. A.] Report of the Secretary of the Interior on the Synthetic Liquid Fuels Act from January 1, 1947, to December 31, 1948. 128 pp. Combustion, vol. 19, February 1948, pp. 49-51; Petrol. Processing, vol. 3, 1948, pp. 207-208; Chem. and Eng. News, vol. 26, 1948, pp. 610-611.

Return to Abstracts of Literature 1750-1999

Literature Abstracts

Progress made in the development of industrial methods for the production of synthetic liquid fuels is reported. Projects under way include both demonstration plants and laboratory and pilot-plant investigations of shale oil, coal hydrogenation, synthesis gas by complete gasification of coal in presence of O₂ and steam, the Fischer-Tropsch process, and subterranean gasification of coal. In addition, experimental work is being carried on in connection with the production of liquid fuels from agricultural wastes. Operations in oil shale are concerned with both mining and processing. The use of large-scale equipment in the mining of shale has reduced the mining cost to $0.70 per ton and it is expected to reduce this to $0.50 per ton. The best figure obtained thus far in preparing the shale for retorting is $0.16 per ton and for retorting $0.096 per gal. of liquid crude shale oil. It is believed the ultimate figure will be $0.05 per gal. A coal hydrogenation plant with a capacity of 250 bbl. gasoline per day will be completed in 1948. Economic studies have shown that by using coke-oven gas as the source of process gas, fuel oil can be made for approximately $0.07-$0.11 per gal. The cost of high-pressure H₂ is approximately 40-50% of the total cost of producing fuel oil. Dry hydrogenation is being investigated as indicating a lower content of asphaltic material in the product. Two types of coal solvents also are being investigated toward development of a liquefaction process operating at moderate temperatures and low H₂ pressure. One type, such as o-cyclohexyl-phenol, effects chemical dissociation and H₂ transfer to the coal molecule, and the other, such as phenanthrene, acts as a dispersing agent for the coal. Initial tests are being made on the gasification of powdered coal with O₂ and steam in a reactor of the vortex type with a capacity of approximately 100 lb. of coal per hr. A complete Fischer-Tropsch synthesis plant of about 80-bbl.-per-day capacity is being designed to provide engineering and cost information. The plant will be erected at Louisiana, Mo. Research is being continued on the liquid-phase catalyst suspension process as well as internal oil cooling of the catalyst. Encouraging results are being obtained in the gasification of pulverized coal entrained in superheated steam and O₂, and promise is made of considerable cost reductions for synthesis gas under that achieved in standard water-gas sets. The favorable results obtained with underground coal-gasification tests warrants further study and investigation will be continued. The cost of the Gorgas, Ala., project is reported as $2.33 per ton of coal gasified, and a gas is obtained of calorific value 125 B.t.u. per cu. ft.