To evaluate and compare the activitiedselectivities of fine-particle size catalysts being developed in the DOEPETC Advanced Research (AR) Coal Liquefaction program by using standard coal liquefaction activity test procedures. Accomplishments: Previously reported results have described the standard test procedure developed at Sandia to evaluate fine-particle size iron catalysts being developed in DOUPETC's AR Coal Liquefaction Program and described the evaluation of several catalysts (commercially available pyrite, University of Pittsburgh's (U. of Pitt.) catalyst, Pacific Northwest Laboratories' (PNL) catalyst) using these procedures. The test uses DECS-17 Blind Canyon Coal, phenanthrene as the reaction solvent, and a factorial experimental design that enables evaluation of a catalyst over ranges of temperature (350 to 4OO0C), time (20 to 60 minutes), and catalyst loading (0 to 1 wtoh on an as-received coal basis). Recent work has focused on the evaluation of West Virginia University's (WVU) iron catalyst that WVU impregnated on DECS-17 Blind Canyon coal. Results showed good activity for this catalyst including the highest amount of 9,lOdihydrophenanthrene (1 3.2%) observed in a reaction product and a small but significant catalytic effect for heptane conversion (0.5%). Additional experiments are being performed to enable comparison with previously tested catalysts. Tetrahydrofuran (THO insolubles from selected reactions have been sent to the University of Kentucky for Mossbauer characterization of the iron phases present. Plans: Ongoing work includes completion of the statistical analysis of WVU's impregnated catalyst and comparison of this catalyst's results with results from previously tested catalysts. Future work will include testing additional catalysts being developed in the AR Coal Liquefaction Program (including catalysts impregnated on Wyodak coal), developing procedures to characterize reaction products, and determining the kinetics of the reactions.
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