Optimized solvent amount in the liquefaction of Adaro coal with binary sulfide catalyst supported on carbon nanoparticles

Liquefaction of Adaro coal was performed in an autoclave of 50 mt capacity, at variable solvent (tetralin)/coal ratios from 0 to 2 in single and two stages under the reaction hydrogen pressure of 15 MPa by using FeNi and NiMo catalysts supported on carbon nano particles (Ketjen Black). The maximum oil yield (68%) was obtained at the donor solvent/coal ratio of 1, while the solvent/coal ratio of 0.5 gave the minimum oil yield (38%) in the single- and two-stage liquefaction with FeNi/KB catalyst. Solvent-free liquefaction maximized the hydrocarbon gas/oil yield ratio with FeNi/KB. The catalyst giving a high oil yield (68%) in the liquefaction with tetralin as an H-donor solvent was forced to give a low oil yield when l-methylnaphthalene was used as non-H-donor solvent. In a marked contrast, NiMo/KB catalyst gave the minimum oil yield at the ratio of zero for the single stage and provided high oil yield (73%) with the nondonor as well as H-donor solvent.