Co-liquefaction of Micro Algae with Coal Using Coal Liquefaction Catalysts

• Published in: Energy & fuels 2001-03, Vol.15 (2), p.350-355
• Main Authors: Ikenaga, Na-oki, Ueda, Chiyo, Matsui, Takao, Ohtsuki, Munetaka, Suzuki, Toshimitsu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Algae; Applied sciences; Catalysts; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Fuel processing. Carbochemistry and petrochemistry; Fuels; Hydrogen; Iron; Organic compounds; Solid fuel processing (coal, coke, brown coal, peat, wood, etc.); Sulfur
• ISSN: 0887-0624; 1520-5029
• DOI: 10.1021/ef000129u

Co-liquefaction of micro algae (Chlorella, Spirulina, and Littorale) with coal (Australian Yallourn brown coal and Illinois No. 6 coal) was carried out under pressurized H2 in 1-methylnaphthalene at 350−400 °C for 60 min with various catalysts. Co-liquefaction of Chlorella with Yallourn coal was successfully achieved with excess sulfur to iron (S/Fe = 4), where sufficient amount of Fe1 - x S, which is believed to be the active species in the coal liquefaction, was produced. The conversion and the yield of the hexane-soluble fraction were close to the values calculated from the additivity of the product yields of the respective homo-reactions. In the reaction with a one-to-one mixture of Chlorella and Yallourn coal, 99.8% of conversion and 65.5% of hexane-soluble fraction were obtained at 400 °C with Fe(CO)5 at S/Fe = 4. When Littorale and Spirulina were used as micro algae, a similar tendency was observed with the iron catalyst. On the other hand, in the co-liquefaction with Illinois No. 6 coal, which is known to contain a large amount of sulfur in the form of catalytically active pyrite, the oil yield in the co-liquefaction was close to the additivity of the respective reaction with Fe(CO)5−S, even at S/Fe = 2. Ru3(CO)12 was also effective for the co-liquefaction of micro algae with coal.