Coal - aqueous mixtures

Claim 3

The method of Claim 1 wherein said medium speed agitation in step (ii) is carried out for a time sufficient to wet the coal particles and said high speed agitation is carried out for a time sufficient to disperse the coal.

Claim 4

The method of Claim 1 wherein an anti-foam agent is added to the mixture during step (i).

Claim 5

The method of Claim 3 wherein said anti-foam agent is comprised of a mixture of mineral oil, amide and polyethylene glycol oleate ester.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1, 2, or 4 wherein the particulate coal is added in an amount from about 45 to 80 percent; the water is added in an amount from about 19.9 to 52 percent; and the polyalkyleneoxide nonionic sur-factant is added in an amount from about 0.1 to 3.0 percent based on the total weight of the mixture.

Claim 7

The method of Claim 1 wherein the polyalkyleneoxide nonionic surfactant comprises a composition of the formula wherein R is substituted or unsubstituted alkyl of from 1 to 18 carbon atoms; substituted or unsubstituted aryl or an amino group, and n is an integer of at least about 100 or a composition of the formula wherein R1 is an alkylene radical having 2 to 5 carbon atoms;-R2 is an alkylene radical having 3 to 5 carbon atoms; a, b, c, d, e, f, g, and h are whole integers and e, f, g, and h total at least about 100 or a composition of the formula HO(CH2CH2O)a[CH(CH3)CH2O]b(CH2CH2O)cH wherein a, b and c are whole integers and a and c total at least about 100.

Claim 8

The method of Claim 1 wherein said polyalkyleneoxide nonionic surfactant has a molecular weight of at least about 4000.

Claim 9

The method of Claim 6 wherein R1 is an alkylene radical having 2 carbon atoms and R2 is an alkylene radical having 3 carbon atoms and R is nonyl.

Claim 10

The method of Claim 1 including the further steps of: (iv) admixing a thickening agent under high speed agitation conditions, to the admixture resulting from step (iii).

Claim 11

The method of Claim 9 wherein said thickening agent is xanthan gum, guar gum, cellulose gum, glue or alkali soluble acrylic polymer.

Claim 12

The method of Claim 9 including the further step of: (v) admixing an anti-bacterial agent, a viscosity stabilizer or mixtures thereof to the mixture resulting from step (iv), under high speed agitation.

Claim 13

The method of Claim 11 wherein said vis-cosity stabilizer is ammonia.

Claim 14

The method of claim 1, 6, or 12 wherein said particulate coal is characterized by having a sulfur content of from 0.5 to 2.0 percent by weight, an an ash content of from about 0.5 to 6.0 percent, based on the weight of dry coal and is about 200 mesh in tyler standard screen size.

Claim 15

A stabilized, high solids content coal-aqueous mixture comprising particulate coal as a dispersed solid material; water as a carrier medium; a polyalkylene-oxide nonionic surfactant having a hydrophobic portion and a hydrophilic portion, said hydrophilic portion comprising at least about 100 units of ethylene oxide, said polyalkyl-eneoxide nonionic surfactant being present in said mixture in an amount to disperse said particulate coal in said water carrier; and a viscosity stabilizer.

Claim 16

A stabilized, high solids content coal-aqueous mixture comprising particulate coal as a dispersed solid material; water as a carrier medium; a polyalkylene-oxide nonionic surfactant having a hydrophobic portion and a hydrophilic portion, said hydrophilic portion comprising at least about 100 units of ethylene oxide, said polyalkyl-eneoxide nonionic surfactant being present in said mixture in an amount to disperse said particulate coal in said water carrier; and a viscosity stabilizer.

Claim 17

The stabilized, high solids content coal-aqueous mixture of Claim 14 further comprising a thickening agent and/or an anti-foam agent.

Claim 18

The stabilized, high solids content coal-aqueous mixture of Claim 14 wherein said polyalkyl-eneoxide nonionic surfactant comprises a composition of the formula wherein R is substituted or unsubstituted alkyl of from 1 to 18 carbon atoms; substituted or unsubstituted aryl or an amino group, and n is an integer of at least about 100 or a composition of the formula wherein -R1 is an alkylene radical having 2 to 5 carbon atoms; R2 is an alkylene radical having 3 to 5 carbon atoms; a, b, c, d, e, f, g and h are whole integers and e, f, g and h total at least about 100 or a composition of the formula HO(CH2CH2O)a[CH(CH3)CH2O]b(CH2CH2O)cH wherein a, b and c are whole integers and a and c total at least about 100.

Claim 19

The stabilized, high solids content coal-aqueous mixture of Claim 16 wherein R1 is an alkylene radical having 2 carbon atoms and R2 is an alkylene radical having 3 carbon atoms and R is nonyl.

Claim 20

The stabilized, high solids content coal-aqueous mixture of claim 14, 16 or 17 the polyalkylene-oxide nonionic surfactant has a molecular weight of at least about 4000.

Claim 21

The stabilized, high solids content coal-aqueous mixture of claim 14, 16 or 17, wherein the viscosity stabilizer comprises ammonia.

Claim 22

A stabilized, high solids content coal aqueous mixture comprising particulate coal as a dispersed solid material; water as a carrier medium; a polyalkylene-oxide nonionic surfact-ant having a hydrophobic portion and a hydrophilic portion, said hydrophilic portion comprising at least about 100 units of ethylene oxide, said polyalkyleneoxide nonionic surfactant being present in said mixture in an amount to disperse said particulate coal in said water carrier; a viscosity stabilizer and an anti-bacterial agent.

Claim 23

A stabilized, high solids content coal aqueous mixture comprising particulate coal as a dispersed solid material; water as a carrier medium; a polyalkylene-oxide nonionic surfact-ant having a hydrophobic portion and a hydrophilic portion, said hydrophilic portion comprising at least about 100 units of ethylene oxide, said polyalkyleneoxide nonionic surfactant being present in said mixture in an amount to disperse said particulate coal in said water carrier; a viscosity stabilizer and an anti-bacterial agent.

Claim 24

A mixture according to claim 20 wherein the viscosity stabilizer is ammonia.

Claim 25

A mixture according to claim 20 or 21, further comprising a thickening agent and/or an anti-foam agent.

Claim 26

A mixture according to claim 20 or 21 wherein the anti-bacterial agent is formaldehyde.