Process Engineering
FAST PYROLYSIS PROCESS
Fast pyrolysis processing consists of rapidly subjecting coal to extremely high temperatures for very short periods of time in an inert or hydrogen-rich environment. While liquids are produced, the principal product are ultra-high-purity coal chars suited to making agricultural products, building materials, electrical devices, and reinforcements and fillers for composite material solutions.
View Project pageCOAL SOLVENT EXTRACTION PROCESS
Solvent extraction of sub-bituminous Wyoming coal is a versatile process. The process can be tailored to extract and convert coal into desirable components suitable directly for end-products, asphalt & roofing products, and as intermediates for further reactions.
The low cost of Wyoming coal enables an economically competitive process to higher value-added materials.
View Project pageCOAL REFINERY
CCCC is currently building a small industrial scale field demonstration plant that will provide data for both the fast pyrolysis and the solvent extraction processes. This plant will process 11 TPD of coal and provide potential investors with the ability to view the processes on a larger scale and quantify risks.
Coal to Products
BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
The CCCC has completed a design for a building, that will demonstrate the performance of various coal derived construction products including char-bricks, dry wall boarding, plaster, structural members, roofing and waterproofing materials. The building will be constructed on the UW campus for monitoring.
View Building Material PageASPHALT, PAVING, AND ROOFING MATERIALS
A baseline formulation of coal-derived asphalt has been produced, using the extract intermediate that is yielded from solvent extraction of raw PRB coal. These formulations can be customized to suit the properties required for either whole paving or roofing applications.
AGRICULTURAL SOIL AMENDMENT PRODUCTS
Greenhouse studies at the UW Laramie Research and Extension Center (LREC) and field trials in different parts of Wyoming are underway.
Crops under evaluation include corn (grain and silage production) at the UW Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension Center (SAREC) at Lingle WY, and sugar beet (beet and silage production) at the UW Powell Research and Extension Center (PREC).
Other Areas of Exploration
COAL COMPOSITE MEMBRANES
Coal char membranes have significant purifying properties. Research is underway to integrate these membranes into a water treatment slip stream with a focus on VOC removal. Work is also progressing with gas separation applications for testing in the coal refinery gas clean up area.
SYNTHETIC GRAPHITE & CARBON QUANTUM DOTS
The flash pyrolysis coal char is made up of graphitic material. This material is being further developed into synthetic graphite. The coal char also can be made into both carbon quantum dots and graphene quantum dots. The types and relative amounts of these produced materials are controlled through manipulation of the char processing conditions.
CRITICAL MINERAL PROCESSING
Extraction of critical minerals, including rare earth elements, is being tested on various intermediate streams from the coal refinery process, coal beds and coal fly ash. Separation of rare earth elements is also being explored.
DECKING
Light weight decking materials are being made using the coal char. An initial product is decking boards that offer a premium surface and weathering characteristics as compared to current commercially available boards. Additionally, the coal-derived decking materials have demonstrated equal compressive & modulus strength at much lighter weight, which is a selling point, both for the manufacturer and consumer.
