Future of Engineering
Friday, March 21, 2008
Coal as Chemical Feedstock for Oil and Polymers?
Dirty solutions to the price of oil are beginning to ramp up. A troubling new article in the chemical industry trade mag, Chemical and Engineering News, reports that coal is making in-roads as a feedstock for bulk chemical production.
Running directly counter to “green chemistry” companies like one funded in November Novomer, some in the chemical industry are exploring gasifying coal into methanol, which is a step away from the building blocks of bulk chemicals, ethylene and propylene. The economics seem to indicate that crude oil over $50 a barrel will make coal an economical option.
Full story here
Related blogposts
Coal tar is a versatile feedstock
Running directly counter to “green chemistry” companies like one funded in November Novomer, some in the chemical industry are exploring gasifying coal into methanol, which is a step away from the building blocks of bulk chemicals, ethylene and propylene. The economics seem to indicate that crude oil over $50 a barrel will make coal an economical option.
Full story here
Related blogposts
Coal tar is a versatile feedstock
Labels: Chemical-Engineering, Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Coal as Chemical Feedstock for Oil and Polymers? posted by Ecacofonix : 12:36 AM
