# US 4,394,248 A · Coal liquefaction process

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- Number: US 4,394,248 A
- Document ID: US4394248A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/303,665
- Filed: 1981-09-18
- Granted: 1983-07-19
- Earliest claimed: 1981-09-18
- Assignees: Uop LLC
- Inventors: John G. Gatsis
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4394248A

## CPC

- C10G 1/083: {in the presence of a solvent}
- C10G: CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION (cracking to hydrogen or synthesis gas C01B; cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbon gases to individual hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof of definite or specified constitution C07C; cracking to cokes C10B); RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES

## Abstract

A process for liquefying coal which comprises contacting coal and solvent in the presence of a residual oil containing asphaltenes and at least one finely divided, unsupported metal sulfide and recovering valuable liquid hydrocarbon products from the resulting liquid coal extract.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for producing hydrogen-enriched hydrocarbonaceous products from coal which comprises:
(a) contacting said coal in a solvent extraction zone at solvent extraction conditions with a solvent, hydrogen and a residual oil containing asphaltenes and at least one finely divided, unsupported metal sulfide; and
(b) recovering hydrogen-enriched hydrocarbonaceous products.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein said residual oil is atmospheric crude tower bottoms.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein said residual oil is vacuum tower bottoms.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein said residual oil is a catalyst sludge.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The process of claim 4 wherein said catalyst sludge is obtained from a slurry catalyst process which hydrotreats a high metals content hydrocarbon.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein said solvent extraction conditions include a temperature from about 400.degree. F. to about 900.degree. F., a pressure from about 500 to about 5,000 psig, a solvent to coal weight ratio from about 0.1 to about 10 and a residence time from about 30 seconds to about 10 hours.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the residual oil to coal weight ratio is from about 0.01 to about 10.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein said residual oil contains from about 0.01 to about 20 weight percent metal based on the elemental metal.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein said residual oil contains from about 2.0 to about 10 weight percent metal based on the elemental metal.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein said metal is a Group V-B metal.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein said metal is a Group VI-B metal.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein said metal is a Group VIII metal.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein said Group V-B metal is vanadium.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein said Group VI-B metal is molybdenum.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein said Group VIII metal is nickel.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein said solvent comprises hydrocarbons previously derived from coal liquefaction.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein said solvent comprises naphthalenic hydrocarbons.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the finely divided, unsupported metal sulfide has a nominal diameter from about one micron to about 2000 microns.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein said solvent comprises a hydrogenated coal oil which has been hydrogenated to convert at least about 80% of the asphaltenes.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein said hydrogen is admixed with hydrogen sulfide in an amount to provide a hydrogen to hydrogen sulfide molar ratio of from about 2 to about 200.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein said hydrogen is admixed with hydrogen sulfide in an amount to provide a hydrogen to hydrogen sulfide molar ratio of from about 4 to about 100.