Process for removing sulfur and producing enhanced quality and environmentally acceptable products for energy production from coal

A process for energy production from coal, comprising the steps of:

• preparing a coal slurry from water and said coal;
• mixing phosphoric acid with water in said coal slurry to provide 50 to 85% by volume phosphoric acid;
• heating and holding said coal slurry for at least five minutes at a temperature between 85.degree. and 230.degree. C. to allow penetration of said phosphoric acid into said coal;
• carbonizing said coal slurry in an inert atmosphere at a temperature of 200.degree.-700.degree. C. for at least five minutes;
• producing products from said processing including;
• (1) a carbon solid having a low ash content of less than 10% of the original coal;
• (2) a liquid tar having a low sulfur content of less than 0.1% of the original coal;
• and (3) a gas having a ratio of hydrogen to methane of greater than 3:1 and a sulfur content of 60-80% of the original coal bound as hydrogen sulfide.

A process for energy production from fossil fuel, comprising of the steps of:

• preparing a mixture of fossil fuel and water;
• mixing phosphoric acid with said water in said mixture of fossil fuel and water so as to provide 15 to 85% by volume phosphoric acid;
• heating and holding said fossil fuel, water and phosphoric acid mixture for at least five minutes at a temperature between 85.degree. and 230.degree. C.;
• and
• carbonizing said fossil fuel, water and phosphoric acid mixture in an inert atmosphere at a temperature of 200.degree.-700.degree. C. for at least five minutes.