Chemical engineering researchers from West Virginia University have developed and successfully tested a new coal conversion process that may help reduce North American dependence on foreign oil through the development of high-value products derived from West Virginia coal.

The researchers today are displaying some of their resultsincluding a one-ton graphite electrode manufactured partially with binder pitch derived from West Virginia coalin the state Capitol rotunda in Charleston.

The event is part of the Industries of the Future-West Virginia (IOF-WV) Day at the Capitol co-sponsored by WVU and the West Virginia Division of Energy.

In a project funded by the U.S. Department of Energys National Energy Technology Laboratory, the chemical engineering researchers have succeeded in converting West Virginia coal to a tarry liquid similar to heavy crude petroleum. Heavy crudes are used to produce products such as pitches and cokes in addition to yielding a small quantity of light products such as gasoline and diesel fuel.

The discussion about Americas reliance on imported energy often focuses on fuels such as gasoline and diesel,said Al Stiller, WVU professor of chemical engineering.But in reality, we need to also consider pitches and cokes, which are equally important to the American economy as strategic and commercial materials.

Binder pitch is a tar-like material that is a key ingredient in carbon and graphite components used mainly by the metals smelting industry. Nearly 1 million barrels are used annually in the United States. As an initial commercial demonstration, the WVU process was used to make a binder-pitch blend which was then manufactured into graphite electrodes for an iron-smelting facility.

Other WVU researchers involved in the project are John Zondlo, professor of chemical engineering, and Elliot Kennel, research coordinator of the Carbon Products Group.

We believe that heavy crudes from coal are an important raw material for the future,Kennel said.The days when we could depend on light Texas crude for all of our energy, chemical and material needs are over. For many applications, coal-derived heavy crudes can be produced more simply, more cheaply and more cleanly than their petroleum counterparts. In fact, in many cases, the coal-derived materials outperform those made from petroleum.

Weve been saying for years that coal is too valuable to simply burn,Zondlo said.This message is starting to find support in industry, thanks to efforts not only from us, but also from state and federal leaders, especially Sen. Robert C. Byrd.

After producing the synthetic pitch, the WVU researchers worked with two manufacturers to produce 21 one-ton graphite electrodes containing a blend of the synthetic binder pitch and conventional pitch. The full-scale electrodes were successfully demonstrated at a commercial electric-arc steelmaking furnace. WVU researchers teamed with GrafTech International Ltd. and Koppers Inc., both companies with operations in West Virginia, on the production and testing of the electrodes.

In the testing, which took place in November and December, the coal-derived electrodes performed as well as conventional electrodes. Analysis of the electrodes after manufacture also showed no significant difference.

The new binder pitch is the first of what is hoped will be many economical coal-derived products through the new extraction process. As this line of research continues, other products are being investigated, including other pitches and cokes made from domestic coal rather than petroleum.

The total North American market for high quality pitches and cokes is about 5 million tons, which represents the equivalent of about 30 million barrels of crude hydrocarbons. A like quantity of lighter products, such as fuels and chemicals, could also be co-produced by the WVU process.