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Development of Clean and Efficient Utilization of Low Rank Coals and Biomass by Solvent Treatment

Environment / Energy (Global-scale environmental issues)

Kingdom of Thailand

Finished

Development of Clean and Efficient Utilization of Low Rank Coals and Biomass by Solvent Treatment

Turning Low-grade Lignite and Rice Straw into Carbon Fiber!

Principal Investigator

- Specially Appointed Prof.
  MIURA Koichi
  Institute of Advanced Energy, Kyoto University
- Vice-Rector
  Bundit Fungtammasan
  King Mongkut's University of Technology, Thonburi

ODA Recipient Country

Kingdom of Thailand

Research Institutions in Japan

Kyoto University / Akita University / Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry / Kobe Steel, Ltd.

Research Institutions in Counterpart Country

The Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (JGSEE-KMUTT) / PTT Public Company Limited

Adoption fiscal year

FY 2013

Research Period

5 Years

Overview of the Research Project

New solvent treatment can easily convert lignite and rice straw into useful materials
In Thailand and other Southeast Asian nations, efficient use of low-grade carbon resources, such as brown coal (lignite) and various types of biomass waste, is an urgent issue. This project aims to achieve efficient dewatering and upgrading of low-grade carbon resources by treating them with solvents under mild conditions of about 350°C and 2 MPa, and to manufacture useful products from the clean materials that are produced by the solvent treatment. Making this new technology available will enable techniques for efficient use of low-grade fossil resources and biomass to be widely adopted throughout the world.

Contributing to lowering global CO₂ emission through efficient use of resources
Lignite and rice straw are low-grade materials with only 45% to 70% carbon. Researchers have discovered that a solvent treatment can convert them into upgraded materials that can be used to efficiently manufacture carbon fiber and liquid fuel. If methods of efficiently using peat and other low-grade carbon resources spread throughout Southeast Asian nations as a result, this project will have helped in resolving global energy and environmental issues.