It can be used in electric plants or for heating industrial or residential buildings. These ingredients are treated with heat, pressure and chemical catalysts to produce a liquid and gases which can be made into a variety of synthetic liquid fuels. It can be used in existing electric or industrial plants or further refined to make gasoline and fuel oil. Coal is dissolved at a high temperature and treated with hydrogen to remove sulfur and ash particles. Hydrogen-sulfide gas is released, and ash and insoluble particles settle.
Refined coal is cleaner and has nearly twice the heat value of unrefined coal.
Solid refined coal is easy to transport and can be used in coal-burning equipment. The liquid can be refined to make gasoline or fuel oil or burned directly as a power plant fuel. Coal and limestone are mixed together in a special boiler at high temperatures to remove the major pollutants. Calcium in the limestone reacts with sulfur in the coal to produce a harmless substance that is removed with the ash. A fluidized bed system allows for pollution control while the coal is being burned.