High concentrations of naphthenic and hydroaromatic compounds confer several desirable properties on middle distillate fuels. Such naphthenic fuels have higher volumetric energy densities than paraffinic fuels, providing a greater range of travel for a given volume of fuel. Naphthenic fuels can also be formulated to show substantially enhanced resistance to pyrolytic decomposition relative to paraffinic fuels. This property can be useful in aviation applications, particularly for high-performance aircraft, when the fuel can also be used as an on-board heat sink. The hydrogen-donating properties of hydroaromatic and naphthenic compounds give them the ability to intercept and shut down radical propagation reactions when fuel components begin to experience thermally induced bond cleavage. Because the molecular architecture of most coals is dominated by cyclic structures, there may be situations in which it would be advantageous to consider coal, or coal-petroleum blends, as raw material for producing highly naphthenic middle distillates. The remarkable diversity of such properties as elemental composition and degree of ring condensation among the world’s coals presents challenges in selecting the most efficacious coals for use. Selection would have to be based on several considerations, informed by modern ideas of coal structure. Important topics include the potential of rearranging the distribution of hydrogen already in the coal, and the potential of exploiting small molecules easily extracted from the coal.<br/>

Coal structural considerations in the production of highly naphthenic liquid fuels

2019 Spring National Meeting

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