GB730030A - Improvements in or relating to coal hydrogenation process - Google Patents

Abstract

In the destructive hydrogenation of coal to obtain gasoline and coke, the mixture of coal, heavy cycle oil and catalysts is hydrogenated with a high throughput and low consumption of hydrogen so that the products from this stage contain not more than one volume middle oil per volume heavy oil which, after separation of middle oil and gasoline, is cracked to obtain middle oil, gasoline and coke, and the middle oil obtained from the second and first stages is hydrogenated in the vapor phase to obtain gasoline. Throughputs of 50-100 lbs. of coal per cubit foot reactor volume per hour, and consumption of about 10 cubic ft. hydrogen per pound coal are specified for the liquid phase hydrogenation. Reaction conditions specified for the coking stage are temperatures of 900-1150 DEG F., and pressures from atmospheric to 100 pounds per sq. inch. A moving bed type of coker is preferably employed. The plant shown in the drawing comprises not only the destructive hydrogenation and cracking stages but also plant for the recovery of hydrocarbons, gases and hydrogen and for the production of steam and electricity. Coal from storage bin 81 is fed in part to drier and grinder 82 and in part to carbonizers 135 for the production of fuel gas and electricity. In the drier the coal is mixed with catalyst fed through line 83 and then passes to paste mixer 86 supplied with recycle oil through line 85. The paste is hydrogenated in reactor 88 the vapors passing to distillation zone 95 and the heavy oil and sludge to coker 91. The products from the coker are separated into (a) coke fed to fuel gas plant 136 (b) vapors fed to zone 95 and (c) gases fed through line 90 to water gas generator 122. In the distillation zone 95 the products are separated into (a) a heavy oil boiling above 625 DEG F. which is recycled to the pasting zone 86 (b) a middle oil-gasoline fraction fed through line 98 to the vapor phase hydrogenation reactor 99 (c) a phenol containing fraction which is fed to a phenol separator 102 from which phenol is recovered through line 104 and oil is recycled through line 103. Products from the reactor 99 are separated into (a) lean gases fed to separator 113 (b) gasoline fed to product tank 130 (c) a rich gas fed to H2S purifier 111, the olefines being fed to convertor 118. Purified hydrogen is recovered through purifiers 123, 125. <PICT:0730030/III/1>