Process for the hydrogenation of coal

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE HYDROGENATION 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 TO ABOUT 200 MESH, AND A HYDROGENATION CATALYST WITH WATER SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM OIL TO FORM A FLUID SUSPENSION; PASSING SAID SUSPENSION THROUGH A HEATING ZONE WHEREIN THE WATER IS VAPORIZED THEREBY FORMING A DISPERSION OF SOLID PARTICLES IN STEAM MOVING AS A CONFINED STREAM IN TURBULENT FLOW REDUCING THE PARTICLE SIZE OF THE COAL TO LESS THAN 200 MESH AND SIMULTANEOUSLY INTIMATELY ASSOCIATING THE CATALYST WITH THE RESULTING POWDERED COAL; SEPARATING THE POWDERED COAL AND THE ASSOCIATED CATALYST FROM SAID STEAM; AND SUBJECTING SAID COAL IN SAID MIXTURE TO REACTION WITH HYDROGEN IN THE ABSENCE OF STREAM AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE.