Title: Catalytic depolymerisation of Yinggemajianfeng lignite via ionic liquid pretreatment-catalytic ethanolysis tandem system

Authors: Zhou-Xin Peng; Shi-Yun Xiao; Meng-Yao Li; Hong-Shu Liu; Bo-Wen Zhang; Sheng-Kang Wang; Ming Xia; Xue-Song Wang

Addresses: School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, 222005, China ' School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, 222005, China ' School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, 222005, China ' School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, 222005, China ' School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, 222005, China ' School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, 222005, China ' School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, 222005, China ' School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, 222005, China

Abstract: A highly active Pd-Ru/HZSM-5 catalyst was prepared and used for catalysing cracking of Yinggemajianfeng lignite (YL) treated with an ionic liquid-methanol co-solvent system (TYL) to study its structure changes. The ethanol-soluble fractions obtained from YL and TYL (ESP_YL and ESP_TYL) were analysed using atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation/quadrupole orbitrap mass spectrometry (APCI/Q-orbitrap MS). The yields of ESP_YL and ESP_TYL were 41.5 wt% and 53.0 wt%, respectively, indicating that the lignite treated with the ionic liquid-methanol co-solvent system exhibited enhanced potential for catalytic conversion. Benzyl-2-naphthyl ether (BNE) was selected as a representative model compound for YL and was fully converted to toluene and naphthol (210°C, 1 h, and 1 MPa N₂), demonstrating the excellent ability of Pd-Ru/HZSM-5 catalyst in activating ethanol to generate H• as a hydrogen source for the cleavage of BNE. APCI/Q-orbitrap MS analyses revealed the presence of a significant amount of oxygen-containing products in ESP_YL and ESP_TYL, underscoring the efficacy of the tandem system in generating oxygen-containing small molecules. [Received: December 3, 2023; Accepted: May 3, 2024]

Keywords: lignite; ionic liquid; catalytic ethanolysis; APCI/Q-orbitrap MS; structural features.

DOI: 10.1504/IJOGCT.2025.144536

International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Technology, 2025 Vol.37 No.2, pp.125 - 140

Received: 11 Nov 2023
Accepted: 03 May 2024
Published online: 18 Feb 2025 *

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