Partial oxidation process

A process for the production of gaseous mixtures comprising H.sub.2 +CO by the partial oxidation of a fuel feedstock comprising a sulfur-containing liquid hydrocarbonaceous fuel having a nickel and iron-containing ash;

• and said feedstock includes a minimum of 0.01 wt. % of sulfur;
• a minimum of 0.5 ppm nickel, a minimum of 0.5 ppm iron, and a minimum of 2.0 ppm of silicon;
• said process comprising:
• (1) mixing together an additive comprising about 2 to 100 wt. % of a supplemental sulfur-containing material and about 0 to 98 wt. % of a supplemental iron-containing material with said fuel feedstock;
• wherein the weight ratio of additive to ash in said fuel feedstock is in the range of about 0.2 to 20;
• and the weight ratio of iron plus sulfur to nickel in said mixture of additive and fuel feedstock is greater than 0.90;
• (2) coking said mixture from step (1) to produce sulfur-containing petroleum coke having a nickel-containing ash and having dispersed therein said additive from step (1);
• (3) introducing the petroleum coke from step (2) into the partial oxidation reaction zone in step (4) as a pumpable slurry of petroleum coke in water, liquid hydrocarbonaceous fluid or mixtures thereof, or as substantially dry petroleum coke entrained in a gaseous transport medium;
• (4) reacting said mixture from step (3) at a temperature in the range of about 1800.degree. F. to 2800.degree. F. and a pressure in the range of about 5 to 250 atmospheres in a free-flow refractory lined partial oxidation reaction zone with a free-oxygen containing gas in the presence of a temperature moderator and in a reducing atmosphere to produce a hot raw effluent gas stream comprising H.sub.2 +CO and entrained molten slag;
• and where in said reaction zone said additive combines with substantially all of the nickel and most of the iron constituents and sulfur found in the feedstock to produce said molten slag substantially comprising (i) a fluid sulfide phase comprising the sulfides of iron and nickel having a minimum weight ratio of iron plus sulfur to nickel of 0.70 and a minimum sulfur content of 36 weight percent;
• (ii) a relatively minor amount of Fe, Ni alloy phase wherein Fe is in the range of about 30 to 95 wt. %, and nickel is in the range of about 5 to 70 wt. %;
• and (iii) other slag components including silicates, vanadium-containing spinels, and other refractory components;
• and
• (5) separating nongaseous materials containing substantially no Ni.sub.3 S.sub.2 and a reduced amount of said Fe, Ni alloy phase from said hot raw effluent gas stream.