Carbon black fuel production

Abstract

Abstract The application discloses a method of production of nonpolluting ash free, sulfur free carbon black solid fuel from a polluting solid carbonaceous fossil fuel, such as coal or coal char. The coal is first pretreated to remove a hydrocarbon stream and the resultant devolatilized coal is gasified to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen preferably with substantially no entrained produced carbon. The carbon monoxide and hydrogen product gases are then cooled under controlled conditions in a fluidized bed to precipitate out carbon black in a finely divided state. At least a portion of the hydrocarbon stream, preferably after sulfur removal by hydrodesulphurization, is then admixed with the carbon black product to produce a product useful as a nonpolluting ash free, sulfur free fuel for coal-fired turbines, as an additive to diesel fuel, and as a material for pipelining to areas where air pollution ordinances require a fuel with low sulfur content. The process disclosed for converting coal or coal char to a solid carbon black suitable for use as a nonpolluting fuel includes four basic steps: (a) devolatilization of the coal to produce a hydrocarbon stream; (b) production of a hot carbon oxide containing gas, rich in carbon monoxide, by partial combustion of the devolatilized coal with air, oxygen or an oxygen enriched air, at elevated temperature and pressure under catalytic conditions; (c) controlled removal of heat from the gas in a fluidized bed to promote the deposition of carbon; and (d) admixing at least a portion of the hydrocarbon stream, preferably after desulphurization, with the carbon produced. Preferably, the hot gas is enriched by intermediate clean-up to remove particulate matter and sulfur. All steps are preferably conducted at high pressures which favor formation of carbon and carbon dioxide from carbon monoxide. Preferably, substantially no carbon is formed in the first step, and the carbon deposition step is not appreciably auto-catalytic with respect to carbon deposition.

Inventors

• 👤 Frank C Schora

Bibliographic Details