The rising oil prices have brought the focus back on fuel production through coal liquefaction. Researchers have developed a new catalyst that significantly reduces CO2 emissions during the coal liquefaction process. The Fischer-Tropsch process is used to convert coal into fuel through various methods. China and South Africa rely on this established process due to their vast coal reserves. However, this process releases large amounts of carbon dioxide even before the fuel is burned. Dutch scientists from the Technical University of Eindhoven have found a new catalyst that reduces greenhouse gases during this production process. Although coal liquefaction is still not environmentally friendly, it is much less harmful with this new catalyst.
To obtain fuel from coal, a complex process is used. First, solid coal is converted into the gases carbon monoxide and hydrogen by steam at high temperatures. This mixture, called synthesis gas, can then be converted into more complex hydrocarbons and then into synthetic gasoline or diesel using iron-based catalysts. However, the Fischer-Tropsch process has a major disadvantage: the unwanted byproduct of carbon dioxide. The new catalyst developed by Dutch scientist Emiel J. M. Hensen and his colleagues reduces the carbon dioxide content from around 30 percent to about five percent. The scientists used special iron carbide for their new catalyst, which is formed by the controlled absorption of carbon into iron. In numerous tests, the iron carbide was found to be extremely stable and could convert synthesis gas mixtures into long-chain hydrocarbons at temperatures around 235 degrees Celsius, with significantly lower carbon dioxide production.
This new catalyst is a significant breakthrough in the coal liquefaction process, as it reduces the amount of carbon dioxide released during the production of fuel. Although coal liquefaction is still not a sustainable solution, this new development is a step towards reducing the environmental impact of the process. The use of this new catalyst could also help countries with large coal reserves to reduce their carbon footprint and move towards a more sustainable future.
