The role of the resid solvent in catalytic coprocessing using finely divided catalyst

The role of the resid solvent in with coals was investigated. Hydrogen transfer during coprocessing was studied in three steps.; First, model compounds including perhydropyrene, anthracene, phenanthrene and benzophenone were employed to study hydrogen transfer between naphthenes and aromatics. These model compound reactions were performed at 380, 400 and 440 {dollar}spcirc{dollar}C in a nitrogen and hydrogen atmosphere under pressures of 500 and 1250 psig respectively. These reactions were performed with and without the presence of two catalysts at a reaction time of 30 minutes. Two organometallic compounds, molybdenum naphthenate and nickel octoate, were used as catalyst precursors in model compound reactions, generating active species in situ. Model compound reactions were intended to obtain the optimum reaction parameters including pressure and temperature for an actual resid and coal coprocessing reaction.; Second, three resid candidates, Maya, FHC-623 and Manji, were separated into a hexane soluble fractions by solvent fractionation. The hexane solubles were fractionated further by preparative chromatography to obtain saturate fractions. The whole resids, the hexane solubles and saturate fraction were subjected to elemental analysis and {dollar}sp1{dollar}H NMR to determine the proportion of aromatic carbon atoms. The aromaticity value described the amount of aromatic components a resid contained.; Third, three coal candidates, Pittsburgh No. 8, Blind Canyon DECS-17 and Illinois No. 6, were reacted alone and with resids in a hydrogen atmosphere at 400 {dollar}spcirc{dollar}C thermally and catalytically for 30 minutes. Mo naphthenate was used as catalyst for actual coprocessing reactions. After reaction, coprocessing solid products were recovered by dissolving in THF. Coal upgrading is measured by conversion to THF solubles while resid upgrading was measured by boiling point distribution obtained by simulated distillations.; In model compound reactions, Mo naphthenate plus sulfur catalyst enhanced hydrogenation of model acceptors whereas Ni octoate catalyst did not promote hydrogen transfer. Model acceptors received hydrogen primarily from gas phase hydrogen instead of from perhydropyrene. When no hydrogen source other than perhydropyrene was available, model acceptors received most of hydrogen released from perhydropyrene.; In resid-coal processing, coal conversion to THF solubles was promoted by catalysts and heavily dependent upon the variety of resids or resid fractions present. Of untreated resid fractions, saturates enhanced coal conversion the least. The whole resid and hexane solubles as solvent in coprocessing reactions increased coal conversions, but the extent was dependent upon composition and structures of resids.; Resids and resid fractions were simultaneously upgraded after coprocessing. The upgrading was evidenced by the shifting of resid boiling point distribution curves toward the lower temperature range.