GB693582A - Hydrogenation of powdered carbonaceous material such as coal - Google Patents

Abstract

<PICT:0693582/III/1> Powdered coal or other carbonaceous material is hydrogenated in the fluidized state to give gas oils and other oils at a temperature of about 700-1050 DEG F and a pressure of 1,000-10,000 pounds per square inch in a reactor 4 into which a stream of hydrogen-containing gas is fed upwards from line 5 at a sufficient velocity to fluidize the powdered material. Unused hydrogen and hydrocarbon vapours are taken off at 8, after separation from entrained solid material by cyclones 7, cooled at 10 and gases and vapours separated from condensed material at 11. The powdered material is fed to the reactor from a lockhopper 1 via a stand pipe 2 into which fluidizing gas is admitted at t. To prevent agglomeration by agglutinants formed when the coal or other material becomes plastic a powdered material adapted to absorb such agglutinants is also fed to the reaction zone. This may be clay, sand, crushed rock, brick dust or preferably solid partially hydrogenated carbonaceous residue which as shown is withdrawn at 14 from the reactor 4 and returned by fluidizing hydrogen from line 15 to the hopper 1 for mixing with the feed. Unreacted hydrogen is recycled via line 13 and fed, together with hydrogen from line 5, by pump 17 to the reactor via heater 6. A portion of the gas in line 13 may be vented at 16. Hydrogenated coal not required as diluent is withdrawn at 18. The Specification lists suitable hydrogenation catalysts which may be applied to the coal as a solution or suspension. A cracking catalyst may be included. In an example Pittsburgh seam coal ground to size 200-400 mesh and mixed with an equal weight of partially hydrogenated coal was sprayed with an aqueous solution of tin chloride and hydrogenated at 800 DEG F and 200-350 atmospheres pressure with an excess of hydrogen, i.e. from 5-25 cubic feet (at standard temperature and pressure) per pound of coal. The reaction time was from 1-2 hours. An oil yield of 54 per cent of the weight of coal and containing gasoline and gas oil was obtained. The use of a silica-alumina cracking catalyst, slurried with the tin chloride solution, to improve the octane rating of the gasoline is referred to.