Systems and methods for refining coal into high value products

Abstract

Described herein are integrated thermochemical processes for the conversion of coal into high-value products using a combination of pyrolysis and solvent extraction. The described systems and methods are versatile and may be used to generate a variety of high value products including chemicals (aromatics, asphaltenes, napthenes, phenols, polyamides, polyurethanes, polyesters), polymer composite products (resins, coatings), graphitic products, agricultural materials, building materials, carbon fiber and other products that are substantially more valuable that the energy generated via combustion. Further, these systems and methods are specifically designed to be highly branched and highly flexible, allowing for a high selectivity and optimization for increasing the value of the products relative to the feedstock.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for converting coal into a plurality of high value coal products and extracts comprising:
 providing a feedstock, wherein said feedstock is at least partially derived from coal;   processing said feedstock, wherein said processing step includes a combination of pyrolysis and solvent extraction,   wherein said pyrolysis and solvent extraction are integrated and carried out under conditions for generating a plurality of high value coal products.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein greater than or equal to 50% by mass dry basis of said high value coal products are liquid at standard temperature and pressure. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein said step of processing said step is highly branched and highly selective. 
     
     
         4 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 3 , wherein said pyrolysis is performed at a pressure selected from the range of 0.5 atm to 15 atm. 
     
     
         5 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 4 , wherein said pyrolysis is performed at a temperature selected from the range of 400° C. to 1200° C. 
     
     
         6 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 5 , wherein said pyrolysis is performed in less than or equal to 5 seconds. 
     
     
         7 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 6 , wherein said pyrolysis is integrated with said solvent extraction. 
     
     
         8 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 7 , wherein said pyrolysis generates a mass percentage of gas of less than or equal to 25%, excluding water vapor. 
     
     
         9 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 8 , wherein said pyrolysis is performed in the presence of hydrogen gas, methane, syngas or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 9 , wherein said pyrolysis is flash pyrolysis. 
     
     
         11 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 10 , wherein said solvent extraction is performed with at least one liquid solvent. 
     
     
         12 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 11 , wherein said at least one solvent is selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic solvent, an aromatic solvent, a polar solvent, a hydrogen donating solvent, an ionic liquid solvent and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 12 , wherein said solvent extraction is performed with at least two liquid solvents. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein a first solvent is a polar solvent and a second solvent is a hydrogen donating solvent or vice versa. 
     
     
         15 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 14 , wherein said solvent extraction is a single stage solvent extraction, multiple single stage solvent extractions, a single multistage solvent extraction, multiple multistage solvent extractions or a combination of single stage and multistage solvent extractions. 
     
     
         16 . The method of any of  claims 11 - 15 , wherein said solvent extraction is performed at a temperature less than the critical temperature of said at least one solvent. 
     
     
         17 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 16 , wherein said solvent extraction is performed at less than or equal to 350° C. 
     
     
         18 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 17 , wherein said solvent extraction generates a mass percentage of gas less than or equal to 5%, excluding water vapor. 
     
     
         19 . The method of any of  claims 11 - 18 , wherein one of said at least one solvents comprises tetralin (1,2,3,4-Tetrahydronaphthalene), 1-methyl-napthalene, toluene, dimethylformamide (DMF) or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 19 , wherein said solvent extraction is performed upstream of said pyrolysis. 
     
     
         21 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 20 , wherein said pyrolysis is performed upstream of said solvent extraction. 
     
     
         22 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 21 , wherein a portion of products for said pyrolysis step are recycled to said solvent extraction. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said processing step comprises multiple solvent extractions and products from a later solvent extraction are recycled to an earlier solvent extraction or said pyrolysis or used as an intermediate for upstream further processing. 
     
     
         24 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 23 , wherein said feedstock at least partially derived from coal is greater than or equal to 90% unrefined coal by weight. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said unrefined coal is physically, chemically or thermally preprocessed prior to said step of processing. 
     
     
         26 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 25 , wherein a portion of said feedstock is one or more product streams from said pyrolysis, said solvent extraction, recycle streams or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         27 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 26 , wherein said feedstock at least partially derived from coal comprises subbituminous coal. 
     
     
         28 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 27 , wherein said feedstock is at least partially derived from coal is derived from run of mine coal. 
     
     
         29 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 28 , wherein said high value coal products comprise less than or equal to 10% fuel products. 
     
     
         30 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 29 , wherein said high value coal products comprise polymers or polymer precursors. 
     
     
         31 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 30 , where said high value coal products comprise polyurethane. 
     
     
         32 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 31 , wherein said high value coal products comprise composite polyurethane foam. 
     
     
         33 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 32 , wherein said high value coal products comprise polyamides. 
     
     
         34 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 33 , wherein said high value coal products comprise polyesters. 
     
     
         35 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 34 , wherein said high value coal products comprise adhesives. 
     
     
         36 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 35 , wherein said high value coal products comprise aromatics. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein said high value coal products comprise benzene, toluene, xylene, phenols, cresols, xylenols, naphthenols, C9 single aromatic rings, C10 single aromatic ring isomers or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         38 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 37 , wherein said high value coal products comprise paraffins, olefins or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         39 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 38 , wherein said high value coal products comprise asphaltenes. 
     
     
         40 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 39 , wherein said high value coal products comprise coal tar, distillates, pitch, carbon fibers or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         41 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 40 , wherein said high value coal products comprise soil amendments 
     
     
         42 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 41 , wherein said high value coal products comprise building materials. 
     
     
         43 . The method of any of  claims 1 - 42 , wherein a significant portion of said high value coal products are solids. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein said solids can be converted to construction materials, composite materials, liquid additives or any combination thereof when combined a resin, liquid or other bi-product generated by the methods described in  claims 1 - 43 . 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein said extracts can include metals and rare earth elements. 
     
     
         46 . A method for converting coal into a plurality of high value coal products comprising:
 providing a primary feedstock at least partially derived from coal;   processing said primary feedstock, wherein said processing sequence is:
 a pyrolysis step, wherein said pyrolysis step is performed in less than or equal to 10 seconds performed in a hydrogen rich atmosphere; and 
 a solvent extraction step, wherein said solvent extraction step is performed with at least one liquid solvent, wherein said liquid solvent is selected from the group consisting of: a polar solvent, a hydrogen donating solvent and any combination thereof; 
   wherein said pyrolysis step is the first processes step performed on said primary feedstock and said solvent extraction step is the second process step carried out on a solid char produced from said pyrolysis step; and   wherein said pyrolysis step and said solvent extraction step are integrated and carried out under conditions for generating a plurality of high value coal products.   
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein said pyrolysis step is a flash pyrolysis process. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 46  or  47 , wherein said solvent step process is a single stage solvent extraction, multiple single stage solvent extractions, a single multistage solvent extraction, multiple multistage solvent extractions or a combination of single stage and multistage solvent extractions. 
     
     
         49 . The method of any of  claims 46 - 48  wherein said solvent extraction step uses two or more solvents. 
     
     
         50 . The method of any of  claims 46 - 49 , wherein processing said feedstock further comprises one or more separation steps occurring after said pyrolysis step, after said solvent extraction step or in between multiple solvent extractions.