Oresand oreconcentratescontaining
mineralsof Co, MO, Ni, Fe, and otherpotentiallyactivemetals have been investigated as slurry catalysts for liquefaction of Blacksville mine, Pittsburgh seam, bituminous coal. The tests were conducted batchwise in a stirred autoclave for 30 min at 425ยฐC and 13.79 MPa (2000 psig) hydrogen pressure according to a two-cycle scheme. In the first cycle, the reaction charge consisted of ground coal, catalyst, hydrogen, and SRC-II heavy distillate. The product of the first cycle was hot-filtered, and the liquid product served as a vehicle for the second cycle, which was otherwise run identically to the first. Reaction products from each cycle were analysed to determine conversion of coal, yield of liquids, liquid product viscosity, and group type (preasphaltene, asphaltene, and oil). Mixtures of ores containing iron pyrites and minerals containing other catalytically active transition metals were compared to pyrites alone and to a pulverized supported Co-MO-alumina
catalyst. An ore catalyst containing both Fe and Ni was superior to another that contained an equivalent mass of iron alone. The best ore catalysts tested, in terms of high liquid yields and low product viscosities, were mixtures of pyrites and molybdenum-and cobalt-containing ores. The latter yielded results that approached those obtained with an equivalent mass of cobalt and molybdenum on an alumina support.