Process for producing hydrogenenriched hydrocarbonaceous products from coal

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING HYDROGEN-ENRICHED HYDROCARBONACEOUS PRODUCTS FROM COAL WHEREIN SAID COAL IS SUBJECTED TO SOLVENT EXTRACTION AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 300 AND 500*C. TO YIELD AN ASH-CONTAINING EXTRACT, AT LEAST A PORTION OF WHICH IS SUBSEQUENTLY CATALYTICALLY HYDROGENATED TO YIELD A HYDROGEN-ENRICHED HYDROCARBONACEOUS PRODUCT, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES SUBJECTING SAID EXTRACT, PRIOR TO ANY CATALYTIC HYDROGENATION THEREOF, TO TREATMENT WITH AN AQUEOUS DEASHING REAGENT IN ADMIXTURE WITH A HYDROGEN-TRANSFERRING HYDROCARBONACEOUS LIQUID AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE 250* C. BUT NOT ABOVE THE TEMPERATURE AT WHICH SAID COAL WAS SUBJECTED TO SOLVENT EXTRACTION.