Structural properties of residual carbon in coal gasification fine slag and their influence on flotation separation and resource utilization:A review

Coal gasification fine slag(FS)is a typical solid waste generated in coal gasification.Its current disposal methods of stockpil-ing and landfilling have caused serious soil and ecological hazards.Separation recovery and the high-value utilization of residual carbon(RC)in FS are the keys to realizing the win-win situation of the coal chemical industry in terms of economic and environmental benefits.The structural properties,such as pore,surface functional group,and microcrystalline structures,of RC in FS(FS-RC)not only affect the flotation recovery efficiency of FS-RC but also form the basis for the high-value utilization of FS-RC.In this paper,the characteristics of FS-RC in terms of pore structure,surface functional groups,and microcrystalline structure are sorted out in accordance with gasification type and FS particle size.The reasons for the formation of the special structural properties of FS-RC are analyzed,and their influence on the flotation separation and high-value utilization of FS-RC is summarized.Separation methods based on the pore structural characterist-ics of FS-RC,such as ultrasonic pretreatment-pore-blocking flotation and pore breaking-flocculation flotation,are proposed to be the key development technologies for improving FS-RC recovery in the future.The design of low-cost,low-dose collectors containing polar bonds based on the surface and microcrystalline structures of FS-RC is proposed to be an important breakthrough point for strengthening the flotation efficiency of FS-RC in the future.The high-value utilization of FS should be based on the physicochemical structural proper-ties of FS-RC and should focus on the environmental impact of hazardous elements and the recyclability of chemical waste liquid to es-tablish an environmentally friendly utilization method.This review is of great theoretical importance for the comprehensive understand-ing of the unique structural properties of FS-RC,the breakthrough of the technological bottleneck in the efficient flotation separation of FS,and the expansion of the field of the high value-added utilization of FS-RC.

Agglomeration of coal and polyethylene mixtures during fixed‑bed co‑gasification

The article presents the results of experimental studies on the gasification of mixtures of brown coal and polyethylene(up to 20 wt%fraction)in a laboratory reactor.The work aims to study the agglomeration process during the heating and oxidation of the mixtures.The measurement results(gas composition,pressure drop)provide indirect information on the dynamics of thermal decomposition and structural changes in the fuel bed.We have shown that the interaction between polyethylene and a coal surface leads to the formation of dense agglomerates,in which the molten polymer acts as a binder.Clinkers form as a result of interfacial interactions between components and filtration flow rearranging.The hydrogen/carbon ratio in the solid residue of coal-polyethylene co-gasification increases from 0.07–0.2 to 1.11,indicating the formation of stable hydrocarbon compounds on the carbon surface.The conducted research makes it possible to identify possible interactions between chemical reactions and transfer processes that lead to agglomeration in mixtures of coal with polyethylene.

Upcycling municipal solid waste to sustainable hydrogen via two-stage gasification-reforming

As global municipal solid waste(MSW)quantities continue to escalate,serious socio-environmental challenges arise,necessitating innovative solutions.Waste-to-hydrogen(WTH)via two-stage gasification-reforming(TSGR)presents an emergent technology for MSW upcycling,offering to ease waste management burdens and bolster the burgeoning hydrogen economy.Despite early initiatives to advance TSGR technology,a cohesive and critical analysis of cutting-edge knowledge and strategies to enhance hydrogen production remains lacking.This review aggregates literature on MSW upcycling to hydrogen via TSGR,with a focus on optimizing process control and catalytic efficiency.It underscores technological avenues to augment hydrogen output,curtail catalyst costs,and refine system performance.Particularly,the review illuminates the potential for integrating chemical and calcium looping into TSGR processes,identifying opportunities,and pinpointing challenges.The review concludes with a summary of the current state of techno-economic analysis for this technology,presenting outstanding challenges and future research directions,with the ultimate goal of transitioning WTH from theoretical to practical application.

Coke behavior with H_(2)O in a hydrogen-enriched blast furnace:A review

Hydrogen-enriched blast furnace ironmaking has become an essential route to reduce CO_(2)emissions in the ironmaking process.However,hydrogen-enriched reduction produces large amounts of H_(2)O,which places new demands on coke quality in a blast furnace.In a hydrogen-rich blast furnace,the presence of H_(2)O promotes the solution loss reaction.This result improves the reactivity of coke,which is 20%-30%higher in a pure H_(2)O atmosphere than in a pure CO_(2)atmosphere.The activation energy range is 110-300 kJ/mol between coke and CO_(2)and 80-170 kJ/mol between coke and H_(2)O.CO_(2)and H_(2)O are shown to have different effects on coke degradation mechanisms.This review provides a comprehensive overview of the effect of H_(2)O on the structure and properties of coke.By exploring the interactions between H_(2)O and coke,several unresolved issues in the field requiring further research were identified.This review aims to provide valuable insights into coke behavior in hydrogen-rich environments and promote the further development of hydrogen-rich blast furnace ironmaking processes.

Multiscale analysis of fine slag from pulverized coal gasification in entrained-flow bed

Fine slag(FS)is an unavoidable by-product of coal gasification.FS,which is a simple heap of solid waste left in the open air,easily causes environmental pollution and has a low resource utilization rate,thereby restricting the development of energy-saving coal gasification technologies.The multiscale analysis of FS performed in this study indicates typical grain size distribution,composition,crystalline structure,and chemical bonding characteristics.The FS primarily contained inorganic and carbon components(dry bases)and exhibited a"three-peak distribution"of the grain size and regular spheroidal as well as irregular shapes.The irregular particles were mainly adsorbed onto the structure and had a dense distribution and multiple pores and folds.The carbon constituents were primarily amorphous in structure,with a certain degree of order and active sites.C 1s XPS spectrum indicated the presence of C–C and C–H bonds and numerous aromatic structures.The inorganic components,constituting 90%of the total sample,were primarily silicon,aluminum,iron,and calcium.The inorganic components contained Si–O-Si,Si–O–Al,Si–O,SO_(4)^(2−),and Fe–O bonds.Fe 2p XPS spectrum could be deconvoluted into Fe 2p_(1/2) and Fe 2p_(3/2) peaks and satellite peaks,while Fe existed mainly in the form of Fe(III).The findings of this study will be beneficial in resource utilization and formation mechanism of fine slag in future.

Effective separation of coal gasification fine slag: Role of classification and ultrasonication in enhancing flotation

Effective separation of residual carbon and ash is the basis for the resource utilization of coal gasification fine slag(CGFS).The conventional flotation process of CGFS has the bottlenecks of low carbon recovery and high collector dosage.In order to address these issues,CGFS sample taken from Shaanxi,China was used as the study object in this paper.A new process of size classification-fine grain ultrasonic pretreatment flotation(SC-FGUF)was proposed and its separation effect was compared with that of wholegrain flotation(WGF)as well as size classification-fine grain flotation(SC-FGF).The mechanism of its enhanced separation effect was revealed through flotation kinetic fitting,flotation flow foam layer stability,particle size composition,surface morphology,pore structure,and surface chemical property analysis.The results showed that compared with WGF,pre-classification could reduce the collector dosage by 84.09%and the combination of pre-classification and ultrasonic pretreatment could increase the combustible recovery by 17.29%and up to 93.46%.The SC-FGUF process allows the ineffective adsorption of coarse residual carbon to collector during flotation stage to be reduced by pre-classification,and the tightly embedded state of fine CGFS particles is disrupted and surface oxidizing functional group occupancy was reduced by ultrasonic pretreatment,thus carbon and ash is easier to be separated in the flotation process.In addition,some of the residual carbon particles were broken down to smaller sizes in the ultrasonic pretreatment,which led to an increase in the stability of flotation flow foam layer and a decrease in the probability of detachment of residual carbon particles from the bubbles.Therefore,SCFGUF could increase the residual carbon recovery and reduce the flotation collector dosage,which is an innovative method for carbon-ash separation of CGFS with good application prospect.

A critical review on direct catalytic hydrogasification of coal into CH_(4):catalysis process configurations,evaluations,and prospects

Coal catalytic hydrogasification(CCHG)is a straightforward approach for producing CH_(4),which shows advantages over the mature coal-to-CH_(4) technologies from the perspectives of CH_(4) yield,thermal efficiency,and CO_(2) emission.The core of CCHG is to make carbon in coal convert into CH_(4) efficiently with a catalyst.In the past decades,intensive research has been devoted to catalytic hydrogasification of model carbon(pitch coke,activated carbon,coal char).However,the chemical process of CCHG is still not well understood because the coal structure is more complicated,and CCHG is a combination of coal catalytic hydropyrolysis and coal char catalytic hydrogasification.This review seeks to shed light on the catalytic process of raw coal during CCHG.The configuration of suitable catalysts,operating conditions,and feedstocks for tailoring CH_(4) formation were identified,and the underlying mechanisms were elucidated.Based on these results,the CCHG process was evaluated,emphasizing pollutant emissions,energy efficiency,and reactor design.Furthermore,the opportunities and strategic approaches for CCHG under the restraint of carbon neutrality were highlighted by considering the penetration of“green”H2,biomass,and CO_(2) into CCHG.Preliminary investigations from our laboratories demonstrated that the integrated CCHG and biomass/CO_(2) hydrogenation process could perform as an emerging pathway for boosting CH_(4) production by consuming fewer fossil fuels,fulfilling the context of green manufacturing.This work not only provides systematic knowledge of CCHG but also helps to guide the efficient hydrogenation of other carbonaceous resources such as biomass,CO_(2),and coal-derived wastes.

Experimental study on the activation of coal gasification fly ash from industrial CFB gasifiers

Coal gasification fly ash(CGFA)is an industrial solid waste from the coal circulating fluidized bed(CFB)gasification process,and it needs to be effectively disposed to achieve sustainable development of the environment.To realize the application of CGFA as a precursor of porous carbon materials,the physicochemical properties of three kinds of CGFA from industrial CFB gasifiers are analyzed.Then,the activation potential of CGFA is acquired via steam activation experiments in a tube furnace reactor.Finally,the fluidization activation technology of CGFA is practiced in a bench-scale CFB test rig,and its advantages are highlighted.The results show that CGFA is characterized by a high carbon content in the range of 54.06%–74.09%,an ultrafine particle size(d50:16.3–26.1 μm),and a relatively developed pore structure(specific surface area SSA:139.29–551.97 m^(2)·g^(-1)).The proportion of micropores in CGFA increases gradually with the coal rank.Steam activation experiments show that the pore development of CGFA mainly includes three stages:initial pore development,dynamic equilibrium between micropores and mesopores and pore collapse.The SSA of lignite fly ash(LFA),subbituminous fly ash(SBFA)and anthracite fly ash(AFA)is maximally increased by 105%,13%and 72%after steam activation;the order of the largest carbon reaction rate and decomposition ratio of steam among the three kinds of CGFA is SBFA>LFA>AFA.As the ratio of oxygen to carbon during the fluidization activation of LFA is from 0.09 to 0.19,the carbon conversion ratio increases from 14.4%to 26.8%and the cold gas efficiency increases from 6.8%to 10.2%.The SSA of LFA increases by up to 53.9%during the fluidization activation process,which is mainly due to the mesoporous development.Relative to steam activation in a tube furnace reactor,fluidization activation takes an extremely short time(seconds)to achieve the same activation effect.It is expected to further improve the activation effect of LFA by regulating the carbon conversion ratio range of 27%–35%to create pores in the initial development stage.

A Gasification Technology to Combine Oil Sludge with Coal-Water Slurry:CFD Analysis and Performance Determination

The development of more environment-friendly ways to dispose of oil sludge is currently regarded as a hot topic.In this context,gasification technologies are generally seen as a promising way to combine oil sludge with coal–water slurry(CWS)and generate resourceful fuel.In this study,a novel five-nozzle gasifier reactor was analyzed by means of a CFD(Computational fluid dynamic)method.Among several influential factors,special attention was paid to the height-to-diameter ratio of the gasifier and the mixing ratio of oil sludge,which are known to have a significant impact on the flow field,temperature distribution and gasifier performances.According to the numerical results,the optimal height-to-diameter ratio and oil mixing ratio are about 2.4:1 and 20%,respectively.Furthermore,the carbon conversion rate can become as high as 98.55%with the hydrolysis rate reaching a value of 53.88%.The consumption of raw coal and oxygen is generally reduced,while the effective gas production is increased to 50.93 mol/%.

Advanced Thermochemical Conversion Approaches for Green Hydrogen Production from Crop Residues

The huge volumes of crop residues generated during the production,processing,and consumption of farm products constitute an ecological nuisance when ineffectively managed.The conversion of crop residues to green hydrogen is one of the sustainable management strategies for ubiquitous crop residues.Production of green hydrogen from crop residue sources will contribute to deepening access to clean and affordable energy,mitigating climate change,and ensuring environmental sustainability.However,the deployment of conventional thermochemical technologies for the conversion of crop residues to green hydrogen is costly,requires long residence time,produces low-quality products,and therefore needs to be upgraded.The current review examines the conventional,advanced,and integrated thermochemical conversion technologies for crop residues for green hydrogen production.After a brief overview of the conventional thermochemical techniques,the review delves into the broad narration of advanced thermochemical technologies including catalytic pyrolysis,microwave pyrolysis,co-pyrolysis,hyropyrolysis,and autothermal pyrolysis.The study advocates the deployment of integrated pyrolysis,anaerobic digestion,pyrolysis,and gasification technologies will ensure scalability,decomposition of recalcitrant feedstocks,and generation of high grade green hydrogen.The outlook provides suggestions for future research into cost-saving and sustainable integrated technologies for green hydrogen production towards achieving carbon neutrality and a circular bio-economy.

Mechanism of K/Ni Etching for Biochar-H_(2)O Gasification

Biomass-H_(2)O gasification is a complex thermochemical reaction,including three processes of volatile removal:homogeneous/heterogeneous reforming,biochar gasification and etching.The rate-determining step is biochar-H_(2)O gasification and etching so the DFT is carried out to see the catalytic role of different metal elements(K/Ni)in the zigzag biochar model.The calculation results show that the gasification of biochar-H_(2)O needs to go through four processes:dissociative adsorption of water,hydrogen transfer(hydrogen desorption,hydrogen atom transfer),carbon dissolution and CO desorption.The energy barrier indicated that the most significant step in reducing the activation energy of K is reflected in the hydrogen transfer step,which is reduced from 374.14 kJ/mol to 152.41 kJ/mol;the catalytic effect of Ni is mainly reflected in the carbon dissolution step,which is reduced from 122.34 kJ/mol to 84.8 kJ/mol.The existence of K causes the edge to have a stronger attraction to H and does not destroy theπbonds of biochar molecules.The destruction ofπbonds is mainly due to the role of H free radicals,while the destruction ofπbonds will lead to easier C-C bond rupture.Ni shows a strong attraction to O in OH,which forms strong Ni-O chemical bonds.Ni can also destroy the aromatic structure directly,making the gasification easier to happen.This study explored the catalytic mechanism of K/Ni on the biochar-H_(2)O gasification at the molecular level and looked forward to the potential synergy of K/Ni,laying a foundation for experimental research and catalyst design.

Cost-Effective Monitoring of the Fuel Air Equivalence-Ratio with a Lambda Sensor and a Microcontroller in a Downdraft Biomass Gasifier

The operation of biomass treatment devices such as gasifiers is based on the control of key parameters that play an important role in product formation. These include: temperature, excess oxygen, relative humidity and biomass composition. This work focuses on excess oxygen and temperature. Unfortunately, flue gas oxygen analyzers are expensive and not accessible to small industries. However, the equivalence ratio is linked to excess oxygen and has the advantage of not depending on biomass composition. This study therefore focuses on the design and development of a device for controlling this equivalence ratio by measuring oxygen concentration using a self-propelled Lambda probe, and a system for monitoring this equivalence ratio using an Arduino Uno 3 microcontroller. The temperature is recorded with an accuracy of ±1.5°C. For a heating time of 10 minutes, the response time to temperature change is around 3 seconds, which is sufficient for the device to function properly. This simple device is an efficient and cost-effective means of checking the equivalence ratio.

Analysis of Steel Slag Treatment Process and Comprehensive Utilization

As a by-product of steel enterprises,steel slag has a huge output and is rich in valuable minerals,but its comprehensive utilization rate is very low.The article mainly introduces the hot splashing method,hot sealing method,and drum method for the treatment of steel slag outside the furnace,and compares and analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of the production operation process and steel slag treatment process.At the same time,it also introduces the residual slag+double slag process and gasification dephosphorization slag circulation steelmaking technology for steel slag treatment inside the furnace,providing direction for steel enterprises to clean and comprehensively utilize steel slag.

Occurrence,leaching behavior,and detoxification of heavy metal Cr in coal gasification slag

Coal gasification slag(CGS)is a type of solid waste produced during coal gasification,in which heavy metals severely restrict its resource utilization.In this work,the mineral occurrence and distribution of typical heavy metal Cr in CGS is investigated.The leaching behavior of Cr under different conditions is studied in detail.Acid leaching-selective oxidation-coprecipitation method is proposed based on the characteristics of Cr in CGS.The detoxification of Cr in CGS is realized,and the detoxification mechanism is clarified.Results show that Cr is highly enriched in CGS.The speciation of Cr is mainly residual fraction(74.47%-86.12%),which is combined with amorphous aluminosilicate.Cr^(3+)and Cr^(6+)account for 90.93%-94.82%and 5.18%-9.07%of total Cr,respectively.High acid concentration and high liquid-solid ratio are beneficial to destroy the lattice structure of amorphous aluminosilicate,thus improving the leaching efficiency of Cr,which can reach 97.93%under the optimal conditions.Acid leaching-selective oxidation-coprecipitation method can realize the detoxification of Cr in CGS.Under the optimal conditions,the removal rates of Fe^(3+)and Cr^(3+)in the leaching solution are 80.99%-84.79%and 70.58%-71.69%,respectively,while the loss rate of Al^(3+)is only 1.10%-3.35%.Detoxification slag exists in the form of Fe-Cr coprecipitation(Fe_(1-x)Cr_xOOH),which can be used for smelting.The detoxification acid leaching solution can be used to prepare inorganic polymer composite coagulant poly-aluminum chloride(PAC).This study can provide theoretical and data guidance for detoxification of heavy metal Cr in CGS and achieve resource utilization of coal gasification solid waste.

Microscopic mechanism study and process optimization of dimethyl carbonate production coupled biomass chemical looping gasification system

Biomass chemical looping gasification technology is one of the essential ways to utilize abundant biomass resources.At the same time,dimethyl carbonate can replace phosgene as an environmentfriendly organic material for the synthesis of polycarbonate.In this paper,a novel system coupling biomass chemical looping gasification with dimethyl carbonate synthesis with methanol as an intermediate is designed through microscopic mechanism analysis and process optimization.Firstly,reactive force field molecular dynamics simulation is performed to explore the reaction mechanism of biomass chemical looping gasification to determine the optimal gasification temperature range.Secondly,steady-state simulations of the process based on molecular dynamics simulation results are carried out to investigate the effects of temperature,steam to biomass ratio,and oxygen carrier to biomass ratio on the syngas yield and compositions.In addition,the main energy indicators of biomass chemical looping gasification process including lower heating value and cold gas efficiency are analyzed based on the above optimum parameters.Then,two synthesis stages are simulated and optimized with the following results obtained:the optimal temperature and pressure of methanol synthesis stage are 150℃ and 4 MPa;the optimal temperature and pressure of dimethyl carbonate synthesis stage are 140℃ and 0.3 MPa.Finally,the pre-separation-extraction-decantation process separates the mixture of dimethyl carbonate and methanol generated in the synthesis stage with 99.11%purity of dimethyl carbonate.Above results verify the feasibility of producing dimethyl carbonate from the perspective of multi-scale simulation and realize the multi-level utilization of biomass resources.

Integrated vacuum pressure swing adsorption and Rectisol process for CO_(2) capture from underground coal gasification syngas

An integrated vacuum pressure swing adsorption(VPSA) and Rectisol process is proposed for CO_(2) capture from underground coal gasification(UCG) syngas. A ten-bed VPSA process with silica gel adsorbent is firstly designed to pre-separate and capture 74.57% CO_(2) with a CO_(2) purity of 98.35% from UCG syngas(CH_(4)/CO/CO_(2)/H_(2)/N_(2)= 30.77%/6.15%/44.10%/18.46%/0.52%, mole fraction, from Shaar Lake Mine Field,Xinjiang Province, China) with a feed pressure of 3.5 MPa. Subsequently, the Rectisol process is constructed to furtherly remove and capture the residual CO_(2)remained in light product gas from the VPSA process using cryogenic methanol(233.15 K, 100%(mass)) as absorbent. A final purified gas with CO_(2) concentration lower than 3% and a regenerated CO_(2) product with CO_(2) purity higher than 95% were achieved by using the Rectisol process. Comparisons indicate that the energy consumption is deceased from 2.143 MJ·kg^(-1) of the single Rectisol process to 1.008 MJ·kg^(-1) of the integrated VPSA & Rectisol process, which demonstrated that the deployed VPSA was an energy conservation process for CO_(2) capture from UCG syngas. Additionally, the high-value gas(e.g., CH_(4)) loss can be decreased and the effects of key operating parameters on the process performances were detailed.

Investigation into the operation of an autothermal two-section subbituminous coal fluidized bed gasifier

Using a newly developed experimental setup,the features and advantages of an autothermal single-casing atmospheric sub-bituminous coal fluidized bed air-blown gasifier,combining a combustion and gasification section,and mixing the dispersed phase(inert material,char)and heat exchange between them through an annular transfer device,have been revealed.To increase the efficiency of the gasifier,an experimental-computational method was developed find the conditions for optimal operation,combining changing the annular flow's geometry and regulating the primary air for gasification.A simple and reliable multizone thermodynamic calculation model makes it possible to predict the composition of char and syngas in the gasification section with acceptable accuracy.This method confirmed that a two-section fluidized bed gasifier can provide efficient gasification of solid fuels and is suitable for use in small-scale cogeneration plants.Syngas with a heating value of 3.6-4.5 MJ/m^(3)and CGE of 38.2%-42.3%was obtained in the experimental setup without optimizing the primary air flow rate.With optimization,the indicators increased to the heating value of syngas of 5.20-5.34 MJ/m^(3)and CGE of 42.5%-50.0%.With heat regeneration of 0.8,CGE increases to 70%.

Effects of Different Calcining Temperatures on the Properties of Ceramsite Prepared by High-carbon Gasification Slag

The structure and characteristics of high-performance lightweight aggregates produced by high-carbon gasification slag were investigated by X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy,thermogravimetry/differential thermogravimetr,differential scanning calorimetry-Fourier transform infrared,and mercury intrusion porosimetry,respectively.The experimental results show that the ceramsite undergoes two weightless stages in the calcining process.With the increase in the calcining temperature,a large number of pores are formed inside the ceramsite,its structure becomes denser,but the calcining temperature band of the ceramsite becomes narrow.The crystalline phase of the ceramsite changes at different calcining temperatures and the mineral phase changes from the earlieralbite,quartz,oligoclase,hematite,etc,to a silica-aluminum-rich glass phase.The 1130℃ is a more suitable calcining temperature,and the cylinder compressive strength of ceramics is 11.59 MPa,the packing density,apparent density,porosity,and water absorption are 939.11 kg/m^(3),1643.75 kg/m^(3),28.11%,and 10.35%,respectively,which can meet the standards for high-strength lightweight aggregates.

Recycling and utilization of coal gasification residues for fabricating Fe/C composites as novel microwave absorbents

Under the background of a transformation of the global energy structure,coal gasification technology has a wide application prospect,but its by-product,the coal gasification residue(CGR),is still not being efficiently utilized for recycling.The CGR contains abundant carbon components,which could be applied to the microwave absorption field as the carbon matrix.In this study,Fe/CGR composites are fabricated via a two-step method,including the impregnation of Fe^(3+)and the reduction process.The influence of the different loading capacities of the Fe component on the morphology and electromagnetic properties is studied.Moreover,the loading content of Fe and the surface morphology of the Fe/CGR can be reasonably controlled by adjusting the concentration of the ferric nitrate solution.Meanwhile,Fe particles are evenly inserted on the CGR framework,which expands the Fe/CGR interfaces to enhance interfacial polarization,thus further improving the microwave-absorbing(MA)properties of composites.Particularly,as the Fe^(3+)concentration is 1.0 mol/L,the Fe/CGR composite exhibits outstanding performance.The reflection loss reaches-39.3 dB at 2.5 mm,and the absorption bandwidth covers 4.1 GHz at 1.5 mm.In this study,facile processability,resource recycling,appropriately matched impedance,and excellent MA performance are achieved.Finally,the Fe/CGR composites not only enhance the recycling of the CGR but also pioneer a new path for the synthesis of excellent absorbents.

Direct transformation of fossil carbon into chemicals: A review

Despite the long tradition of fossil carbon(coal,char,and related carbon-based materials)for fueling mankind,the science of transforming them into chemicals is still demandingly progressing in the current energy scenario,especially when considering its responsibilities to the global climate change.Traditionally,there are four routes of preparing chemicals directly from fossil carbon,including hydrogasification,gasification,direct liquefaction,and oxidation,in the macroscope of gas-solid reaction(hydrogasification and gasification)and liquid-solid reaction(direct liquefaction and oxidation).When the study goes to microscale,the gas-solid reaction can be considered as the reaction between the severe condensed radicals and gas,while the liquid-solid reaction is the direct reaction between the radical and the activated-molecule.To have a full overview of the area,this review systematically summarizes the main factors in these processes and shows our own perspectives as follows,(ⅰ)stabilizing the free radicals generated from coal and then directly converting them has the highest efficiency in coal utilization;(ⅱ)the research on the self-catalytic process of coal structure will have a profound impact on the direct preparation of chemicals from fossil carbon.Further discussions are also proposed to guide the future study of the area into a more sustainable direction.