US3815826A - Chemical comminution and mining of coal - Google Patents

Chemical comminution and mining of coal Download PDF

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Publication number
US3815826A
US3815826A US00232324A US23232472A US3815826A US 3815826 A US3815826 A US 3815826A US 00232324 A US00232324 A US 00232324A US 23232472 A US23232472 A US 23232472A US 3815826 A US3815826 A US 3815826A
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United States
Prior art keywords
coal
anhydrous
acetone
percent
mole
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US00232324A
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English (en)
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R Aldrich
D Keller
R Sawyer
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Syracuse University
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Syracuse University
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Priority to US00232324A priority Critical patent/US3815826A/en
Priority to GB4000172A priority patent/GB1383796A/en
Priority to FR7231031A priority patent/FR2172070B1/fr
Priority to DE2243557A priority patent/DE2243557A1/de
Priority to US00375280A priority patent/US3850477A/en
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    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
    • E21B43/28—Dissolving minerals other than hydrocarbons, e.g. by an alkaline or acid leaching agent
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
    • 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
    • C10L9/00—Treating solid fuels to improve their combustion
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
    • E21B43/29—Obtaining a slurry of minerals, e.g. by using nozzles
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21C—MINING OR QUARRYING
    • E21C37/00—Other methods or devices for dislodging with or without loading

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT Coal whether in a sub-surface stratum or in large lumps as mined by standard means is reduced to fragments by treatment with compounds which weaken interlayer forces at natural interfaces present in the coal.
  • the fragments can be suspended in inert gas moving at a sufficiently rapid rate and carried to the surface where the comminuted coal can be collected.
  • the chemical comminution of coal can be used for mining coal from sub-surface strata by injecting any of said compounds into a sub-surface stratum, following this with the injection of an inert gas at a rate high enough to form a suspension, and carrying the suspension back to the surface where the comminuted coal is separated from the carrier gas.
  • an object of the present invention is to provide a low energy consumption method for the fragmentation of raw coal.
  • Another object of this invention is to provide a low energy consumption method for the fragmentation of raw coal in-natural beds or seams.
  • a further object of the present invention is to provide a low energy consumption method for the fragmentation of coal during the preparation of coal subsequent to its retrieval from a mine.
  • Yet another object of this invention is to provide a method for the fragmentation of coal which is free of airborne dust production.
  • Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a means for particle size reduction of coal without affecting the particle size of rock or mineral impurities.
  • a significant object of the present invention is to provide an improved means for fragmentation of coal with out detriment to the calorific value of the coal.
  • a further object of the present invention is to provide an improved basis for rock and mineral impurity separation from coal.
  • the invention accordingly comprises the several steps and the relation of one or more of such steps with respect to each of the others thereof, which will be exemplified in the method hereinafter disclosed, and the scope of the invention will .be indicated in the claims.
  • the single FIGURE shows schematically the fragmentation and mining of coal in accordance with the method of the present invention.
  • a preferred method of particle size reduction would initiate in the natural coal bed itself wherein the finely divided coal is removed as the product of the combined action of, for example, substantially anhydrous liquid (or gaseous) ammonia under pressure and mechanical devices which essentially form a boring tool.
  • the boring tool is first used as a means for reaching a subsurface coal seam and providing a passage through which one or more pipes can be inserted into the seam;
  • the pipes essentially seal the passage, and the pipes can be arranged, preferably essentially concentrically, so that wetting agent and inert carrier gas can be brought to the seam, and a fluidized suspension of comminuted coal can be brought to the surface where finely divided contaminants can be separated from the suspension.
  • the ammonia can be recovered by a suitable process for recycling.
  • the coal particles can then be classified for further size reduction in an ammonia atmosphere, for further contaminant isolation or for direct sale.
  • FIG. 1 shows schematically how such a process is carried out.
  • Wetting agent, stored in tank 1 is supplied to pipe 2 and transported therethrough to coal seam3 lying below the surface of the earth 4.
  • An inert gas stored in tank 6 is likewise transported through pipe 2 to coal seam 3.
  • the rate of supply of inert gas is such that coal fragments produced by contact of the wetting agent with the coal seam are fluidized and carried upward through pipe 7.
  • separator 8 From pipe 7 the fluidized product is carried to separator 8 which screens the coal fragments from rock and other impurity objects which are of larger size.
  • the fragmented coal is transferred to coal storage bin 9.
  • Such wetting agent as is recovered in separator 8 is transferred back to tank 1 Similarly, the inert gas used for fluidizing the coal fragments is returned to inert gas storage tank 6.
  • pipes 2 and 7 are shown as being concentric this is merely a matter of convenience since the drilling of only one hole is required with such an arrangement.
  • three concentric tubes could as conveniently be used, one to carry the wetting agent, a second to carry the inert gas, and the third to lead the fluidized coal fragments to the surface.
  • Treatment of coal chunks with the wetting agents of the present invention is also useful where the chunk coal is obtained by strip mining operation or by standard techniques. In such cases, the fluidizing technique is not needed.
  • - Essential to the process is the exposure of massive or chunk coal to a surface active agent such as liquid or gaseous ammonia, methanol or other organic compounds of molecular weight less than 100, including some as solvents with the addition of inorganic compounds which effect a substantial drop in internal boundary strength.
  • a surface active agent such as liquid or gaseous ammonia, methanol or other organic compounds of molecular weight less than 100, including some as solvents with the addition of inorganic compounds which effect a substantial drop in internal boundary strength.
  • No precise time, temperature or pressure can be specified for the impregnation step as it will naturally depend on the morphology and chemistry of the coal and the ability of the agent to diffuse through all of the interfaces.'.Time, temperature and pressure control the rate of diffusion.
  • the postulated, mechanism for the decrease in boundary strength due to the effects of the surface active agents is as follows: the low molecular weight ammonia, for example, penetrates the massive coal structure by rapid diffusion and capillarity along the natural bedding planes and other structural defects of the coal.
  • the strong hydrogen bonding ammonia is adsorbed on each of the two surfaces constituting the boundary, renders the natural atomic .bonding system of the interface inactive and substitutes a boundary surface which has little attractive force for its counterpart surface.
  • all boundaries which were exposed have essentially no resistance to applied forces. Since only natural boundaries or internal surfaces are attacked, i.e. homogeneous volumes do not appear to be affected, and since these surfaces are the most likely for the precipitation of sulfur bearing deposits, fracture along these planes will expose the non-coal constituents and facilitate the removal of such impurities.
  • the generation of fine particles with a hydrogen bonded film of ammonia or other surface active agent facilitates transport.
  • the presence of the adsorbed surface active agent film is not detrimental to the calorific value of the coal and does not induce deleterious side reactions which could present a health hazard or interfere with industrial processing.
  • Samples of Illinois No. 6, Lower Cherokee and Pittsburgh coals approximately 3 inches in length, 4 inches in width and 3 inches in thickness were placed separately in glass containers filled with a mixture of ml anhydrous methanol, 50 ml distilled water and A mole sodium hydroxide. To ensure a minimum of moisture pickup from the air the sample containers were placed separately in desiccators with calcium chloride added.
  • Table 1 shows compounds which have been tested and found effective in the comminution of lump coal.
  • Results obtained thus far indicate that about 100 pounds of reagent are required per ton of coal.
  • the net loss of reagent, that is the fraction of reagent not recoverable, has been found to be about 4 pounds per ton of coal, so that the efficiency of agent recovery is about 96 percent.
  • a method of comminuting coal comprising treating said coal with at least one compound selected from the group consisting of anhydrous liquid ammonia, anhydrous gaseous ammonia, substantially anhydrous methanol, anhydrous methanol containing about A mole of sodium hydroxide per liter, anhydrous ethanol, anhydrous ethanol containing about 1 mole of sodium hydroxide per liter, anhydrous isopropanol, anhydrous isopropanol containing about A mole of sodium hydroxide per liter, glacial acetic acid, percent ethylamine, 40 percent methylamine, pure acetone, 3 percent hydrogen peroxide and a mixture consisting of ml of anhydrous methanol, 50 ml of distilled water and 1 mole of sodium hydroxide until the interlayer forces at natural interfaces are reduced.
  • a method of comminuting coal comprising the step of treating said coal with at least one member of the group of the following solutions, the two members of each solution being present in roughly equal volumes, 40 percent methylamine with anhydrous methanol, 70 percent ethylamine with anhydrous ethanol, anhydrous methanol with acetone, anhydrous ethanol with acetone, anhydrous isopropanol with acetone, glacial acetic acid with acetone until the interlayer forces at natural interfaces are reduced.
  • a method of comminuting coal comprising the step of treating said coal with at least one member of the group consisting of the sub-group of, compounds consisting of anhydrous liquid ammonia, anhydrous gaseous ammonia, substantially anhydrous methanol, anhydrous methanol containing about A mole of sodium hydroxide per liter, anhydrous ethanol, anhydrous ethanol containing about A mole of sodium hydroxide per liter, anhydrous isopropanol, anhydrous isopropanol containing about A mole of sodium hydroxide per liter, glacial acetic acid, 70 percent ethylamine, 40 percent methylamine, pure acetone, 3 percent hydrogen peroxide and a mixture consisting of 150 ml of anhydrous methanol, 50 ml of distilled water and A mole of sodium hydroxide, and the sub-group of the following solutions, the two members of each solution being present in roughly equal volumes, 40 percent methylamine' with anhydrous methanol, 70

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Solid Fuels And Fuel-Associated Substances (AREA)
US00232324A 1972-02-18 1972-02-18 Chemical comminution and mining of coal Expired - Lifetime US3815826A (en)

Priority Applications (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US00232324A US3815826A (en) 1972-02-18 1972-02-18 Chemical comminution and mining of coal
GB4000172A GB1383796A (en) 1972-02-18 1972-08-29 Chemical comminution and mining of coal
FR7231031A FR2172070B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1972-02-18 1972-08-31
DE2243557A DE2243557A1 (de) 1972-02-18 1972-09-05 Verfahren zum zerkleinern und abbauen von kohle
US00375280A US3850477A (en) 1972-02-18 1973-06-29 Chemical comminution and mining of coal

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US00232324A US3815826A (en) 1972-02-18 1972-02-18 Chemical comminution and mining of coal

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DE (1) DE2243557A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR2172070B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1383796A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (22)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3870237A (en) * 1974-02-14 1975-03-11 Univ Syracuse Res Corp Chemical comminution of coal and removal of ash including sulfur in inorganic form therefrom
US3918761A (en) * 1974-02-14 1975-11-11 Univ Syracuse Res Corp Chemical comminution of coal and removal of ash including sulfur in inorganic form therefrom
US4032193A (en) * 1974-03-28 1977-06-28 Shell Oil Company Coal disaggregation by basic aqueous solution for slurry recovery
US4076078A (en) * 1976-08-23 1978-02-28 Shell Oil Company Process for forming a coalate solution in-situ
US4130164A (en) * 1977-08-11 1978-12-19 Syracuse Research Corporation Process for coal gasification
US4132448A (en) * 1977-09-06 1979-01-02 Chevron Research Company Method of recovering coal in aqueous slurry form
US4146366A (en) * 1977-11-21 1979-03-27 The Keller Corporation Method of removing gangue materials from coal
US4191425A (en) * 1977-09-06 1980-03-04 Chevron Research Company Ethanolamine in a method of recovering coal in aqueous slurry form
US4400034A (en) * 1981-02-09 1983-08-23 Mobil Oil Corporation Coal comminution and recovery process using gas drying
US4522265A (en) * 1980-02-25 1985-06-11 University Of Southern California Method for fracturing of oil shale
US4533084A (en) * 1983-04-15 1985-08-06 Mobil Oil Corporation Method for comminuting bituminous coal using an aqueous methanol solution
US4546925A (en) * 1983-09-09 1985-10-15 General Electric Company Supermicronized process for coal comminution
US4630778A (en) * 1983-11-14 1986-12-23 Mobil Oil Corporation Separation of mixtures of bituminous coal and lower rank coal by selective chemical comminution
US4695372A (en) * 1986-05-15 1987-09-22 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy Conditioning of carbonaceous material prior to physical beneficiation
US4787918A (en) * 1986-10-31 1988-11-29 The Babcock & Wilcox Company Process for producing deep cleaned coal
US5199766A (en) * 1991-12-11 1993-04-06 Atlantic Richfield Company Cavity induced stimulation of coal degasification wells using solvents
US5304576A (en) * 1992-08-14 1994-04-19 Southwestern Laboratories, Inc. Waste tire disposal and recycling
WO2007011700A3 (en) * 2005-07-15 2007-10-04 Anthony R Mills Synthesizing hydrocarbons of coal with ethanol
US20080198992A1 (en) * 2005-07-05 2008-08-21 Nokia Siemens Network Gmbh & Co. Kg Method for Setting Up a Multimedia Connection In Case Of Cascade Connection Transfer
US20110180262A1 (en) * 2008-07-28 2011-07-28 Forbes Oil And Gas Pty. Ltd. Method of liquefaction of carbonaceous material to liquid hydrocarbon
EP2969942B1 (en) 2013-03-11 2017-08-02 Total Research & Technology Feluy Process for producing fine, morphologically optimized particles using jet mill, jet mill for use in such process and particles produced
CN111852364A (zh) * 2020-07-29 2020-10-30 中国石油化工股份有限公司 旋流分离与机械破碎式煤屑清理系统及其工作方法

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN113294157B (zh) * 2021-05-10 2023-02-28 太原理工大学 一种加快中、厚致密夹层溶解垮塌的盐层造腔控制方法

Non-Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
Dryden, I. G. C. Solvent Power for Coals at Room Temperature, Chemistry and Industry, June 7, 1952, pages 502 508. *
Lazarou & Angelova, Treatment of Coal with Sodium in Liquid Ammonia Solution, Fuel, Vol. XLVII, No. 5, Sept. 1968, pp. 333 341. *

Cited By (27)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3870237A (en) * 1974-02-14 1975-03-11 Univ Syracuse Res Corp Chemical comminution of coal and removal of ash including sulfur in inorganic form therefrom
US3918761A (en) * 1974-02-14 1975-11-11 Univ Syracuse Res Corp Chemical comminution of coal and removal of ash including sulfur in inorganic form therefrom
US4032193A (en) * 1974-03-28 1977-06-28 Shell Oil Company Coal disaggregation by basic aqueous solution for slurry recovery
US4076078A (en) * 1976-08-23 1978-02-28 Shell Oil Company Process for forming a coalate solution in-situ
US4130164A (en) * 1977-08-11 1978-12-19 Syracuse Research Corporation Process for coal gasification
US4132448A (en) * 1977-09-06 1979-01-02 Chevron Research Company Method of recovering coal in aqueous slurry form
DE2838712A1 (de) * 1977-09-06 1979-04-12 Chevron Res Verfahren zur kohlegewinnung in schlammform
US4191425A (en) * 1977-09-06 1980-03-04 Chevron Research Company Ethanolamine in a method of recovering coal in aqueous slurry form
US4146366A (en) * 1977-11-21 1979-03-27 The Keller Corporation Method of removing gangue materials from coal
WO1980002153A1 (en) * 1977-11-21 1980-10-16 Keller Corp Improved method of removing gangue materials from coal
US4522265A (en) * 1980-02-25 1985-06-11 University Of Southern California Method for fracturing of oil shale
US4400034A (en) * 1981-02-09 1983-08-23 Mobil Oil Corporation Coal comminution and recovery process using gas drying
US4533084A (en) * 1983-04-15 1985-08-06 Mobil Oil Corporation Method for comminuting bituminous coal using an aqueous methanol solution
US4546925A (en) * 1983-09-09 1985-10-15 General Electric Company Supermicronized process for coal comminution
US4630778A (en) * 1983-11-14 1986-12-23 Mobil Oil Corporation Separation of mixtures of bituminous coal and lower rank coal by selective chemical comminution
US4695372A (en) * 1986-05-15 1987-09-22 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy Conditioning of carbonaceous material prior to physical beneficiation
US4787918A (en) * 1986-10-31 1988-11-29 The Babcock & Wilcox Company Process for producing deep cleaned coal
US5199766A (en) * 1991-12-11 1993-04-06 Atlantic Richfield Company Cavity induced stimulation of coal degasification wells using solvents
US5304576A (en) * 1992-08-14 1994-04-19 Southwestern Laboratories, Inc. Waste tire disposal and recycling
US20080198992A1 (en) * 2005-07-05 2008-08-21 Nokia Siemens Network Gmbh & Co. Kg Method for Setting Up a Multimedia Connection In Case Of Cascade Connection Transfer
WO2007011700A3 (en) * 2005-07-15 2007-10-04 Anthony R Mills Synthesizing hydrocarbons of coal with ethanol
US20080196298A1 (en) * 2005-07-15 2008-08-21 Mills Anthony R Synthesizing Hydrocarbons of Coal with Ethanol
US20110180262A1 (en) * 2008-07-28 2011-07-28 Forbes Oil And Gas Pty. Ltd. Method of liquefaction of carbonaceous material to liquid hydrocarbon
US8727000B2 (en) * 2008-07-28 2014-05-20 Forbes Oil And Gas Pty. Ltd. Method of liquefaction of carbonaceous material to liquid hydrocarbon
EP2969942B1 (en) 2013-03-11 2017-08-02 Total Research & Technology Feluy Process for producing fine, morphologically optimized particles using jet mill, jet mill for use in such process and particles produced
CN111852364A (zh) * 2020-07-29 2020-10-30 中国石油化工股份有限公司 旋流分离与机械破碎式煤屑清理系统及其工作方法
CN111852364B (zh) * 2020-07-29 2022-03-01 中国石油化工股份有限公司 旋流分离与机械破碎式煤屑清理系统及其工作方法

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB1383796A (en) 1974-02-12
DE2243557A1 (de) 1973-08-23
FR2172070B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1976-08-13
FR2172070A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1973-09-28

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