The route from coal to chemicals can be simply apportioned into the three processes of coal carbonization, coal gasification, and coal liquefaction. Because of their highly aromatic composition, the chemicals derived from coking processes have a molecular structure that is not easy to find in chemicals obtained from other sources. At the present time, chemicals such as benzene and its derivatives and even naphthalene are mainly manufactured by the petrochemical industry. These chemicals can also be obtained from coal coking fractions, as an alternative source to petroleum. Some recent research has demonstrated the effectiveness of a novel catalyst, in the form of iron nanoparticles embedded in carbon nanotubes, for converting carbon dioxide to a mixture of hydrocarbons.
