Coal a great source for low-cost carbon fiber (Clinton Crackel) USofA

Coal Could be a Great Source for Low-Cost Carbon Fiber

By Clinton E. Crackel January 28, 2019 - In my previous articles I discussed the advantages of using the FischerTropsch coal to liquid synthetic fuel process. Coal is a truly valuable natural resource for the production of gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, synthetic gas, naphtha, coke for steel-making, water and electricity. It also contains trace amounts of rare-earth elements, heavy metals, thorium and uranium.

The coal liquefaction and synthetic fuel process could also be modified to include separating and accumulating concentrations of rare-earth elements, thorium and uranium for use as nuclear fuel, and numerous heavy metals for use in industrial applications.

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions can be collected and diverted for making sulfuric acid, sulfur trioxide, sulfites, a disinfectant, a refrigerant, a reducing agent, bleach, a food preservative, wine (because of its antibiotic and antioxidant properties), and biochemical and biomedical products.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions can be collected and diverted for making numerous products for industry, chemical and pharmaceutical applications, electronic applications, fire suppression, health care uses, environmental uses (such as neutralizing alkaline water, as an aerosol in cans as a substitute for using more environmentally incompatible aerosols, and for dry ice pellets to replace sandblasting), gasoline and even in the oil industry for enhanced oil recovery.

Coal ash produced through the combustion of coal can be used in the production of asphalt, concrete and bricks. However, restricting the use of coal to serving purely as a feedstock for the liquefaction process could virtually eliminate all further coal ash deposition to our soil by numerous heavy metals and uranium.

Another valuable product that can be obtained from coal, that I haven’t discussed yet, is carbon fiber. Carbon fiber can be a suitable substitute for steel due to its comparable or greater structural strength and lighter weight. Carbon fiber is ideal for manufacturing components for aerospace applications, automotive manufacturing, water craft manufacturing, body armor and numerous other industrial and household products normally utilizing metal in their manufacturing process.

As far back as the 1960s there was an interest in investigating, developing and utilizing pitch-based carbon fibers for industrial applications. Japan was one of the first nations interested in pursuing pitch-based carbon fiber development.

Within the past few years there has been an interest in pursuing new uses for coal other than as fuel for electric power production in order to reduce or eliminate atmospheric emissions and fly ash waste contamination while preserving coal mining jobs. Also, several projects have been initiated to convert low-cost, carbon-rich coal into useful, lowcost carbon fibers for use in non-aerospace purposes.

Due to its high carbon content, coal is a logical source for use in the production of carbon fiber. However, petroleum still has the upper hand in carbon fiber production due to the price per pound of carbon fiber from petroleum verses carbon fiber produced from coal, especially for use in the automotive industry and due to significant cost differences between various kinds of coal.

Currently, commercial coal pitch-based fibers are made from high-end, high-cost metallurgical coking coal, with fewer impurities than other types of coal, to produce highproperty fibers by using proprietary heating and refining steps. It is believed by some that pitch fibers with desirable properties for automotive applications can potentially be produced that meet the automotive target price of around $5 per pound.

Some scientific studies are underway to produce high-quality, pitch-based fibers from lower cost coal that would be suitable for the automotive industry. According to a study conducted by the University of Utah on such coal from Utah, aerospace-grade fiber has been perfected, but is costly due the requirements to meet specified fiber size and strength quality assurance. However, advanced techniques for significantly reducing the cost of such pitch-based fiber are ongoing.

Last, but certainly not least, in my first article I mentioned using a small modular reactor as the heat source in the Fischer-Tropsch coal to liquid synthetic fuel process. Lately there has been serious discussion in some academic and scientific circles regarding incorporating a thorium-fueled, molten salt reactor as an integral component in the coal liquefaction and synthetic fuels process using coal purely as a feedstock. The incorporation of such a reactor could significantly aid in eliminating the undesirable releases of SO2 and CO2 to the atmosphere and the ground deposition of heavy metals and uranium that are normally associated with coal combustion.