Process for the hydrogenation of coal

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE HYDRROGENATION OF COAL WHEREIN COAL IN FINELY DIVIDED FORM IS ADMIXED WITH OIL AND REACTED WITH HYDROGEN AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES ADMIXING PARTICLES OF COAL THE BULK OF WHICH HAVE A SIZE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 3/32 INCH OF ABOUT 200 MESH WITH A HYDROCARBON OIL TO FORM A FLUID SUSPENSION, PASSING SAID SUSPENSION AT A PRESSURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 50 TO ABOUT 600 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH GAUGE AS A CONFINED STREAM IN TURBULENT FLOW THROUGH A HEATING ZONE WHEREIN IT IS HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE ABOUT 600* F. AND AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TO VAPORIZE SUBSTANTIALLY ALL THE OIL THEREBY REDUCING THE PARTICLE SIZE OF THE COAL, COOLING THE RESULTING MIXTURE COMPRISING HYDROCARBON VAPORS AND POWDERED SOLID FROM THE COAL BY AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO CONDENSE AT LEAST THE MORE READILY CONDENSIBLE COMPONENTS OF SAID VAPORS IN ADMIXTURE WITH POWDERED SOLIDS FROM SAID COAL AND FORM A FLUID MIXTURE OF POWDERED SOLID AND LIQUID HYDROCARBON, AND SUBJECTING THE RESULTING MIXTURE OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON AND POWDERED SOLID TO HYDROGENATION IN LIQUID PHASE AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE.