Carbonization of lignite to produce motor fuels

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR PRODUCING VALUABLE MOTOR FUELS FROM LOW GRADE CARBONACEOUS SOLIDS OF THE TYPE OF LIGNITE AND PEAT WHICH COMPRISES INTIALLY MIXING FINELY DIVIDED CARBONACEOUS SOLIDS WITH MINOR PROPORTIONS OF A CARBOXYLIC ACID SALT OF CALCIUM AND 1 TO 4% OF EXTRANEOUS SODIUM CARBONATE IN A MIXING ZONE, PASSING A STREAM OF SAID FINELY DIVIDED MIXTURE INTO A CARBONIZATION ZONE, FORMING A FLUIDIZED MASS OF SOLIDS THEREIN MAINTAINED AT A CARBONIZING TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 800* TO 1100* F., SUBJECTING DISTILLABLE PORTIONS OF SAID CARBONACEOUS SOLIDS TO A CHEMICAL REACTION IN SAID CARBONIZATION ZONE WHEREBY PHENOLIC CONSTITUENTS OF SAID PORTIONS ARE CONVERTED INTO AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS, REMOVING VOLATILE PRODUCTS FROM SAID CARBONIZATION ZONE, LEAVING A COKY RESIDUE IN FINELY POWDERED FLUIDIZED FORM, WITHDRAWING FROM SAID CARBONIZATION ZONE A STREAM OF FLUIDIZED CARBONACEOUS COKY SOLIDS, CONTAINING A MINOR PROPORTION OF SODIUM CARBONATE, PASSING THE SAME DIRECTLY INTO A GASIFICATION ZONE TO FORM A FLUIDIZED MASS OF SOLIDS THEREIN, REACTING SAID MASS WITH STEAM AT A GASIFICATION TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 1400* TO 2000* F. TO FORM A GAS RICH N H2 AND CO, ADDING OXYGEN AND A FUEL GAS TO SAID GASIFICATION ZONE, SUPPLYING ALL THE HEAT REQUIRED FOR SAID GASIFICATION REACTION ABOVE AND BEYOND THE SENSIBLE HEAT OF SAID STREAM, STREAM, OXYGEN AND ADDED FUEL GAS BY CONTROLLED COMBUSTION OF SAID FUEL GAS AND SAID CARBONACEOUS SOLIDS TO FORM FURTHER QUANTITIES OF GAS RICH IN H2 AND CO, WITHDRAWING A GAS RICH IN H2 AND CO FROM SAID GASIFICATION ZONE, WITHDRAWING HOT FLUIDIZED SOLID COMBUSTION RESIDUE CONTAINING SODIUM CARBONATE FROM SAID GASIFICATION ZONE, DISCARDING A MINOR PORTION OF SAID RESIDUE ADEQUATE CESSIVE SOLIDS BUILD-UP IN SAID ZONES, FEEDING THE REMAINDER OF SAID HOT COMBUSTION RESIDUE TO SAID CARBONIZATION ZONE TO SUPPLY HEAT REQUIRED THEREIN, PROGRESSIVELY DECREASING AS THE REACTION PROCEEDS, THE AMOUNT OF EXTRANEOUS SODIUM CARBONATE ADDED TO SAID MIXING ZONE AT A FEED RATE OF EXTRANEOUS SODIUM CARBONATE CORRESPONDING TO THE AMOUNT OF SODIUM CARBONATE DISCARDED WITH SAID DISCARDED MINOR PORTION AND FURTHER INCREASING THE YIELD OF PRODUCT BOILING WITHIN THE GASOLINE BOILING RANGE BY RECYCLING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE DISTILLATION PRODUCTS FROM SAID CARBONIZATION ZONE BOILING ABOVE THE GASOLINE BOILING RANGE AND SUBJECTING SAID MATERIAL TO A CRACKING REACTION BY CONTACTING WITH HOT ASH RECYCLED FROM SAID GASIFICATION ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THAT AT WHICH SAID PRODUCTS WERE DISTILLED.