# US 8,465,561 B2 · Hydrogenated vegetable oil in coal liquefaction

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- Number: US 8,465,561 B2
- Document ID: US8465561B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/165,935
- Filed: 2011-06-22
- Published: 2012-04-19
- Granted: 2013-06-18
- Earliest claimed: 2007-05-24
- Assignees: West Virginia University
- Applicants: Alfred H. Stiller; Elliot B. Kennel
- Inventors: Alfred H. Stiller; Elliot B. Kennel
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8465561B2

## CPC

- C10G 1/002: {in combination with oil conversion- or refining processes}
- C10B 55/00: Coking mineral oils, bitumen, tar, and the like or mixtures thereof with solid carbonaceous material (cracking oils C10G)
- C10B 57/045: {containing mineral oils, bitumen, tar or the like or mixtures thereof}
- C10G 1/045: {Separation of insoluble materials}
- C10G 1/065: {in the presence of a solvent}
- C10G 3/50: {in the presence of hydrogen, hydrogen donors or hydrogen generating compounds}
- C10L 1/1616: {fractions, e.g. lubricants, solvents, naphta, bitumen, tars, terpentine}
- C10L 10/10: for improving the octane number
- C10B 1/04: Vertical retorts
- C10G 2300/1014: of vegetal origin
- Y02P 30/20: using bio-feedstock
- 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
- C10B: DESTRUCTIVE DISTILLATION OF CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS FOR PRODUCTION OF GAS, COKE, TAR, OR SIMILAR MATERIALS (cracking oils C10G; underground gasification of minerals E21B43/295)
- 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
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods and systems for coal liquefaction using a hydrogenated vegetable oil. A method of obtaining a de-ashed coal extract includes exposing a coal to a hydrogenated vegetable oil in the presence of a coal-derived solvent to form a slurry, elevating the temperature of the slurry to facilitate liquefying the coal and liberating a volatile matter, and separating the insoluble components from the slurry to obtain a de-ashed coal extract, wherein the coal extract is suitable for downstream processing.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of obtaining a de-ashed coal extract, comprising:
exposing a coal to a hydrogenated vegetable oil in the presence of a coal-derived solvent to form a slurry;
elevating the temperature of the slurry to facilitate liquefying the coal and liberating a volatile matter; and
separating insoluble components from the slurry to obtain a de-ashed coal extract.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein water liberated as a result of the elevated temperature is captured and stored.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the volatile matter is condensed and recycled.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising, distilling the coal extract to obtain a pitch.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the coal-derived solvent is selected from the group consisting of recycled liquefied coal, coal tar distillate, and coal tar pitch.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrogenated vegetable oil has a vapor pressure of less than 1500 psi at temperatures less than 400 degrees Celsius.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein separating comprises at least one of centrifugation, filtration, decanting, and float separation.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrogenated vegetable oil is at least one of soybean oil, peanut oil, canola oil, olive oil, other vegetable oil or combination of at least two of these oils.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the temperature is elevated to between 300 degrees Celsius and 600 degrees Celsius.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising agitating the slurry to facilitate liquefying the coal.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the coal is selected from one or more of a sub-bituminous coal, lignite coal and an anthracite coal.