Processing of gasification tars to high yields of BTX

A method for processing tars and coal extract, the method comprising:

• liquefying coal to produce a liquefaction product;
• separating a coal residue from the liquefaction product;
• recovering solvent and a coal extract from the coal residue;
• recycling the recovered solvent to the liquefaction of coal;
• feeding the coal extract from the solvent recovery to a hydropyrolysis process;
• distilling the tars to separate creosotes and pitch;
• feeding a hydrogen rich purge gas from the liquefaction of coal to the hydropyrolysis process;
• processing the pitch and the coal extract with an excess of hydrogen via a hydropyrolysis reaction, including both hydrogenation and hydrocracking functions, to remove heteroatoms and break down polyaromatics in the pitch;
• producing, via the hydropyrolysis of the pitch and the coal extract with the excess of hydrogen, monoaromatics comprising benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX) at a concentration of at least 50%;
• distilling the output of the hydropyrolysis process to separate hydrocarbon gas, benzene, toluene, p-xylene, other xylenes, hydrogen, and heavy hydrocarbons;
• recycling the excess hydrogen back to the hydropyrolysis process;
• and
• recycling the heavy hydrocarbons back to the hydropyrolysis process.

A system for processing tars comprising:

• a gasifier configured to gasifying coal to produce a gas;
• a cooler configured to receive and cool the gas;
• a first separator configured to separate a liquid from the gas;
• a second separator configured to receive the liquid from the first separator and separate tars and oil from the liquid;
• a distillation system configured to distill and separate the tars from the oil, wherein the system is configured to pass the oil to the gasifier, and wherein the system is configured to pass the tars to a column;
• the column, wherein the column comprises the tars from the liquid, wherein the column is configured to separate the tars into one or more creosote streams and a pitch stream;
• and
• a reactor in fluid communication with the column, wherein the reactor is configured to receive the pitch stream along with a stream of hydrogen, and wherein the reactor is configured to selectively break down the pitch to produce benzene, toluene, and xylene.

A method for processing a condensed aromatic feed, the method comprising:

• liquefying coal to produce a liquefaction product;
• separating a coal residue from the liquefaction product;
• recovering solvent and a coal extract from the coal residue;
• recycling the recovered solvent to the liquefaction of coal;
• feeding the coal extract from the solvent recovery to a tar distillation process;
• distilling the coal extract to separate creosotes and pitch;
• processing the pitch via hydropyrolysis to remove heteroatoms and break down polyaromatics in the pitch;
• producing monoaromatics comprising benzene, toluene, and xylenes;
• distilling the output of the hydropyrolysis process to separate hydrocarbon gas, benzene, toluene, p-xylene, other xylenes, hydrogen, and heavy hydrocarbons;
• recycling the excess hydrogen back to the hydropyrolysis process;
• and
• recycling the heavy hydrocarbons back to the hydropyrolysis process.