# US 4,396,396 A · Deashing of coal by the oil agglomeration process

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 4,396,396 A
- Document ID: US4396396A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/318,608
- Filed: 1981-11-05
- Granted: 1983-08-02
- Earliest claimed: 1979-02-23
- Inventors: David E. Mainwaring
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4396396A

## CPC

- C10L 5/06: Methods of {shaping, e.g. pelletizing or} briquetting (mechanical part of pressing briquettes B30B11/00)
- C10G 1/00: Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal (mechanical winning of oil from oil-shales, oil-sand, or the like B03B)
- C10L: FUELS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NATURAL GAS; SYNTHETIC NATURAL GAS OBTAINED BY PROCESSES NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C10G OR C10K; LIQUIFIED PETROLEUM GAS; USE OF ADDITIVES TO FUELS OR FIRES; FIRE-LIGHTERS
- 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 method of deashing coal wherein the coal is wetted with hydrocarbon liquid to form agglomerates and the hydrophilic agglomerates are then separated from a water and ash phase to yield deashed coal agglomerates. The hydrocarbon liquid is then recovered from the coal agglomerates by a vacuum stripping in the absence of oxidizing gases with or without use of super heated steam. Where super heated steam is used the removed hydrocarbon liquid is subsequently separated from the steam by cooling.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for producing abrasion-resistant coal agglomerates of reduced non-carbonaceous content from non-carbonaceous-material-containing coal which comprises crushing mined coal and fine grinding the coal to a top particle size of about 150 microns, while contacting the coal with an emulsion of a hydrocarbon liquid agglomerating agent and water so as to preferentially wet the coal particles with the hydrocarbon liquid, while the non-carbonaceous material, being hydrophylic, is dispersed in the water, and forming agglomerates of carbonaceous material in said coal in said grinding zone and in the presence of raw coal being ground, said agglomerates having an average pore space between coal particles such as to allow the oil content of the agglomerates to measure less than about 30 weight percent, separating said carbonaceous agglomerates from said non-carbonaceous material present in said coal along with the water in which it is dispersed, subsequently suspending said carbonaceous agglomerates as a fluidized bed in a stream of dry steam in the absence of oxidizing gases at a temperature in the range of about 100.degree. C. to about 245.degree. C. to separate at least a portion of the agglomerating agent from said carbonaceous material to produce the deashed coal agglomerate product; and withdrawing the steam/hydrocarbon mix from said fluidized bed, condensing said mix and recovering the recycling the agglomerating agent.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 in which the top particle size to which the coal is fine ground is about 80 microns.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the agglomerating agent comprises a mixture of a light and a heavy oil fraction such that only the light oil fraction is removed during the steam treatment of the agglomerates.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1, 3)

The process of claim 1 or claim 3 in which a high-ash containing coal is used as the feed material, and the ash content of the product material has been reduced by at least about 17 percentage points (the reduction being calculated as weight percent ash in feed coal minus weight percent ash in product).