NONAQUEOUS ENZYMATIC PROCESSING OF COALS

THIS PROJECT IS CONCERNED WITH CONVERSION OF COAL INTO A LIQUID FUEL BY UTILIZING ENZYMES TO ENHANCE THE PROCESS OF BREAKING DOWN THE LARGE MOLECULES IN COAL. THE ADVANTAGES IN THIS APPROACH TO COAL DEGRADATION ARE THAT HIGH TEMPERATURES AND PRESSURES ARE NOT REQUIRED FOR PRODUCING SOLUBLE FUEL PRODUCTS. THE REACTIONS WILL BE CONDUCTED IN ORGANIC SOLVENTS RATHER THAN IN WATER AS IS DONE WITH MOST ENZYMATIC REACTIONS. ALTHOUGH IMPROVEMENTS IN COAL PROCESSING MAY RESULT, PRETREATMENTS OF THE COALS ARE NEEDED TO OBTAIN SUITABLE SUSPENSIONS IN THE ORGANIC SOLVENTS. METHODS FOR PREPARING AND STABILIZING THESE SUSPENSIONS WILL BE INVESTIGATED ALONG WITH STUDIES OF DETAILS OF THE ENZYMATIC DEGRADATIONS. FINALLY, THE CHANGESIN THE SOLUBILITY OR THE SUSPENDABILITY OF THE PRODUCTS OF THE ENZYME-CATALYZED REACTION WILL BE DETERMINED. THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION OF BIOTECHNOLOGY TO COAL CONVERSION DEPENDS ON NEW KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF HOW ENZYMES REACT WITH THE COAL MACROMOLECULES AND HOW TO FACILITATE THIS INTERACTION. THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP THE BASIC KINETIC PARAMETERS OF ENZYMATIC DEGRADATION OF COAL SUBSTRATES, WHICH ARE NECESSARY FOR EVALUATING THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THESE PROCESSES INTO LIQUID FUEL PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY.