Co-processing coal and torrefied biomass during direct liquefaction

Co-liquefaction of coal and torrefied biomass was performed in a mechanically stirred and electrically heated Parr reactor to evaluate effects of co-liquefaction and torrefaction on product yields and properties. The test samples were coal, red maple, yellow-poplar, torrefied red maple and torrefied yellow-poplar. Sample mixtures of coal-red maple, coal-yellow-poplar, coal-torrefied red maple, and coal-torrefied yellow-poplar were prepared in the weight ratio of 1:1. About 10 g of sample and 100 ml of tetralin were placed inside the reactor for each test. The reaction temperature was 300 °C and the hydrogen gas pressure was set at 600 psi (cold). The results showed that oil yields obtained from co-liquefaction of either coal-torrefied red maple, or coal-torrefied yellow-poplar mixtures were higher than the weighted average yields from coal and biomass, separately.