Solid superacid-catalyzed hydroconversion of an extraction residue from Lingwu bituminous coal

A solid superacid was prepared as a catalyst. The catalyst was characterized by ammonia temperature-programmed desorption, surface property measurement, and analyses with scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. A extraction residue from Lingwu subbituminous coal was subject to non-catalytic and catalytic hydroconversion using cyclohexane as the solvent under pressurized hydrogen at 300 °C for 3 h. The results show that the total yield of petroleum ether-extractable arenes from catalytic hydroconversion is much higher than that from non-catalytic hydroconversion. The cleavage of Car–Calk bonds in the residue could significantly proceed during catalytic hydroconversion.