Catalytic effects of MoCl₃- and NiCl₂-containing molten salts in hydroliquefaction of Akabira bituminous coal with and without hydrogen-donor vehicle

Catalytic effects of MoCl₃-LiCl-KCl and NiCl₂-LiCl-KCl molten salts in hydroliquefaction of Akabira bituminous coal were studied. In the absence of solvent, both catalysts showed high coal conversion activity and high selectivity for the formation of hexane-soluble oil product. Oil yields from the catalytic runs were 3.4-3.0 times that from a non-catalytic run. Addition of hydrogen-donor tetralin considerably increased the oil yield and conversion and reduced the total hydrogen consumption. About 95 and 91 wt% daf coal was converted into pyridine-solubles and 59 and 54 wt% into oil with relatively low total hydrogen consumption (3.5 and 3.1 wt% daf coal) with the MoCl₃ and NiCl₂ catalysts respectively, in the presence of tetralin. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that these catalysts enhanced the depolymerization of the coal organic matrix. Analysis of the liquefaction products suggested that the catalysts effectively catalysed the hydrocracking of polyaromatic structures contained in heavy products to hydroaromatics with relatively small ring sizes, explaining the high oil selectivity.