Process for producing hydrogen-enriched hydrocarbonaceous products from coal

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR PRODUCING HYDROGEN-ENRICHED HYDROCARBONACEOUS PRODUCTS FROM COAL, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES (A) SUBJECTING SAID COAL TO SOLVENT EXTRACTION TO YIELD ASH-CONTAINING EXTRACT, SAID ASH COMPRISING ALKALINE ASH COMPONENTS AND INERT ASH COMPONENTS, (B) TREATING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID ASH-CONTAINING EXTRACT IN A DEASHING ZONE TO PREFERENTIALLY REMOVE ALKALINE ASH FROM SAID ASH-CONTAINING EXTRACT SO AS TO YIELD A DEASHED EXTRACT CONTAINING A LOWER PROPORTION OF ALKALINE ASH TO INERT ASH THAN SAID ASHCONTAINING EXTRACT, (C) SUBJECTING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID DEASHED EXTRACT TO HYDROGENATION IN A HYDROGENATION ZONE IN THE PRESENCE OF A CATALYST TO YIELD HYDROGEN-ENRICHED HYDROCARBONACEOUS PRODUCTS, WHEREBY SAID ASH COMPONENTS CONTAINED IN SAID DEASHED EXTRACT DEPOSIT ON THE CATALYST PARTICLES THEREBY CAUSING SAID CATALYST PARTICLES TO LOSE ACTIVITY, AND (D) SUBJECTING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE ASH-CONTAINING CATALYST PARTICLES TO AN ABRASION TREATMENT TO SELECTIVELY REMOVE A UNIFORM THIN OUTER LAYER THEREFROM SUCH THAT THE RESULTING ABRADED CATALYST HAS AN INCREASED CATALYTIC ACTIVITY.