Compositions comprising coal, water and polyelectrolyte

Abstract

This invention relates to compositions substantially containing pulverized coal, water, polyelectrolyte and, optionally, a stabilizing agent. The polyelectrolyte is a water soluble polyethylene, optionally containing double bonds and/or branching points in the polymer chain, being directly substituted with (a) hydroxysulfonyloxy groups or (b) sulfo groups, (c) hydroxysulfonyloxy-lower alkyl groups which are partly or completely in salt form and optionally (d) substituents selected from hydroxy, lower alkyl, lower alkanoyloxy, carbamoyl, cyano, hydroxymethyl, chloro and phenyl, whereby the polyelectrolyte contains at most four different kinds of said optional substituents, and wherein the amount of sulfur of the polyelectrolyte is 2 to 25 percent by weight being calculated when the acid forming groups are present as free acids. Small amounts of these polyelectrolytes in water with a high percentage of pulverized coal form compositions, characterized by low viscosity, good flowability, pumpability and stability.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.