Size separation, preoxidation and fluidized low temperature carbonization of coal

Claim 1

THE METHOD FOR PROCESSING FINELY DIVIDED CAKING BITUMINOUS COAL UNDER FLUIDIZED LOW TEMPERATURE CARBONIZATION CONSITIONS WHICH CONPRISES INTRODUCING SAID FINELY DIVIDED COAL INTO A STREAM OF GASES MOVING UPWARDLY THROUGH A DRYING AND PREHEATING ZONE MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE 250 TO 600*F., WHICH SERVES TO SEPARATE SAID COAL INTO TWO FRACTIONS, COMPRISING A DRIED RELATIVELY COARSE FRACTION WHICH CONTAINS AT LEAST 50 PERCENT OF SAID COAL AND A DRIED RELATIVELY FINE FRACTION WHICH CONTAINS AT LEAST 10 PERCENT OF SAID COAL, SAID RELATIVELY COARSE FRACTION COMPRISING COAL PARTICLES OF LARGER MEDIAN SIZE THAN THE COAL PARTICLES COMPRISING SAID RELATIVELY FINE FRACTION, RACTING SAID RELATIVELY COARSE FRACTION WITH SUFFICIENT OXYGEN-CONTAINING GASES UNDER FLUIDIZED NON-AGGLOMERATING CONDITIONS AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF 600 TO 850*F. TO RENDER SAID RELATIVELY COARSE FRACTION NON-AGGLOMERATING IN A SUBSEQUENT FLUIDIZED LOW TEMPERATURE CARBONIZATION TREATMENT, RECOVERING BOTH OF SAID FRACTIONS AND SUBJECTING THEM IN ADMIXTURE TO LOW TEMPERATURE CARBONIZATION UNDER FLUIDIZED NON-AGGLOMERATING CONDITIONS AT A TEMPERATURE WITH IN THE RANGE OF 850 TO 1100*F. AND RECOVERING AS PRODUCTS SOLID CARBONIZATION RESIDUE AND EVOLVED GASES AND TAR VAPORS.

Claim 2

THE METHOD FOR PROCESSING FINELY DIVIDED CAKING BITUMINOUS COAL UNDER FLUIDIZED LOW TEMPERATURE CARBONIZATION CONSITIONS WHICH CONPRISES INTRODUCING SAID FINELY DIVIDED COAL INTO A STREAM OF GASES MOVING UPWARDLY THROUGH A DRYING AND PREHEATING ZONE MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE 250 TO 600*F., WHICH SERVES TO SEPARATE SAID COAL INTO TWO FRACTIONS, COMPRISING A DRIED RELATIVELY COARSE FRACTION WHICH CONTAINS AT LEAST 50 PERCENT OF SAID COAL AND A DRIED RELATIVELY FINE FRACTION WHICH CONTAINS AT LEAST 10 PERCENT OF SAID COAL, SAID RELATIVELY COARSE FRACTION COMPRISING COAL PARTICLES OF LARGER MEDIAN SIZE THAN THE COAL PARTICLES COMPRISING SAID RELATIVELY FINE FRACTION, RACTING SAID RELATIVELY COARSE FRACTION WITH SUFFICIENT OXYGEN-CONTAINING GASES UNDER FLUIDIZED NON-AGGLOMERATING CONDITIONS AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF 600 TO 850*F. TO RENDER SAID RELATIVELY COARSE FRACTION NON-AGGLOMERATING IN A SUBSEQUENT FLUIDIZED LOW TEMPERATURE CARBONIZATION TREATMENT, RECOVERING BOTH OF SAID FRACTIONS AND SUBJECTING THEM IN ADMIXTURE TO LOW TEMPERATURE CARBONIZATION UNDER FLUIDIZED NON-AGGLOMERATING CONDITIONS AT A TEMPERATURE WITH IN THE RANGE OF 850 TO 1100*F. AND RECOVERING AS PRODUCTS SOLID CARBONIZATION RESIDUE AND EVOLVED GASES AND TAR VAPORS.