Characterization of medium-temperature Sasol–Lurgi gasifier coal tar pitch

Abstract

Medium-temperature gasifier pitch (MTP) is only partly soluble in acetonitrile, methanol and ethanol. Single-stage pitch extraction with a large quantity of methanol yielded two liquid phases containing 76 wt. % and 27 wt. % pitch respectively. The pitch fractions recovered from these two phases featured similar aromaticity indices. However, the pitch from the pitch-rich phase had a higher average molar mass and gave an improved carbon yield at 1000°C. Analysis of the methanol-insoluble pitch fraction showed that methanol extraction at reflux temperatures effectively removed boronic acid model compounds from pitch samples spiked with the same.

Advances in Coal Gasification, Hydrogenation, and Gas Treating for the Production of Chemicals and Fuels

“…Sasol continues to explore new ways of exploiting this pyrolysis material in cooperation with various partners. − Pan, Long, and co-workers have also performed characterization studies on medium-temperature gasification of coal tar. , Further opportunities for chemical production from tars generally are described elsewhere. , …”