COMBINED DEWATERING AND LIQUID-PHASE HYDROGENOLYSIS OF RAW PEAT USING CARBON-MONOXIDE

Raw peat, as received from the bog, was treated with carbon monoxide in batch autoclave at initial cold pressures comprising between 5.5 and 8.3 MPa and reaction temperatures ranging from 275° to 350°C. Potassium carbonate was added as a would-be catalyst for the shift reactions and its role has been found to be negligible in the presence of moderately humified peat with a relatively high ash content (8.1 wt. %). As a consequence of the above described treatment the organic matter in peat underwent significant changes losing its colloidal structure thus facilitating the separation between the resulting aqueous phase and the organic products. The latter appear as a sort of bitumen which is formed in quantities ranging from 25% to 60% (weight percentage relative to the maf peat initially present). Typical compositions (weight percentages) of the bitumen obtained are: C, 80%; H, 9%; O, 7%; N, 2% and S, 0.1%. © 1979.