The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 31, 1981
Filed:
Aug. 23, 1979
Ronald Liotta, Clark, NJ (US);
Martin L Gorbaty, Westfield, NJ (US);
Exxon Research and Engineering Co., Florham Park, NJ (US);
Abstract
Coal liquids are rendered compatible with petroleum liquids by selective oxygen alkylation or oxygen acylation of weakly acidic protons such as phenolic and carboxylic functionalities by means of a phase transfer reaction. Phenolic and carboxylic functional substituents, which are very polar, are converted to relatively non-polar ethers and esters, respectively. The O-alkylation or O-acylation is carried out in a binary liquid phase solution (organic/water). A quaternary ammonium or phosphonium salt is reacted with alkali or alkaline earth base (caustic) to produce the corresponding quaternary ammonium or phosphonium base (an example of a phase transfer reagent). This quaternary base is non-nucleophilic and readily removes the phenolic and carboxylic protons, but does little else to the coal liquid molecules. After the removal of the weakly acidic protons by the quaternary base, the phenoxides and carboxylates which are produced then undergo O-alkylation or O-acylation. The alkylating or acylating agent comprises a carbon-bearing functionality and a displaceable leaving group. The O-alkylation or O-acylation reduces hydrogen bonding and therefore polarity, thereby rendering coal liquids more compatible with petroleum liquids.