Catalytic hydrogenation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with coke oven gas

To improve the economy of the conversion of polyaromatic molecules to their hydroaromatic analogues, catalytic hydrogenation of phenanthrene has been carried out under pressure of different simulated coke oven gases instead of pure hydrogen. The influence of reaction time, temperature and pressure on the hydrogenation yields and on the nature of the obtained products has been studied. Comparisons have been made with reaction with pure hydrogen under the same conditions. The influence of the different components of a real coke oven gas has also been indicated. The results indicate that coke oven gas can be used if the goal is to obtain not perhydroaromatic compounds for thermal cracking but partly hydrogenated compounds to be used as hydrogen donor solvent in a coal liquefaction process. The results have been applied to highly aromatic fractions of coal tar. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.