Coal composition

A material comprising the comminuted product of a slurry of coal having mineral and hydrocarbonaceous material contained therein and a slurry liquid initially maintained at a pressure and temperature above the critical temperature and pressure of the slurry liquid wherein the pressure imposed upon the slurry is subsequently reduced substantially instantaneously to a pressure below the critical pressure of the liquid, the comminuted product comprising a hydrocarbonaceous fraction of discrete particles of hydrocarbonaceous material having

• (a) a volumetric mean particle size of less than about 5 microns in diameter;
• (b) a solubility in a solvent selected from the group consisting of gasoline, benzene, methyl alcohol, carbon tetrachloride and tetralin of about two times to about six times greater than the solubility of the original coal;
• (c) a subfraction of discrete hydrocarbonaceous particles substantially free of sulfur having particle size of less than about 2 microns in diameter;
• (d) a density of about 50% to 75% of the density of the feed coal;
• (e) an oxidation decomposition rate determined by thermogravimetric analysis in ambient atmosphere which includes a first peak of about 300.degree. C. and a second peak between about 350.degree. and about 450.degree. C., said decomposition rate decreasing to substantially zero between said first peak and said second peak and,
• (f) a mineral fraction comprising discrete particles of mineral matter substantially scissioned from the hydrocarbonaceous material having a volumetric mean particle size substantially the same as the mineral matter present in the original coal.