Process for recovering upgraded products from coal

Claim 1

A process for recovering upgraded products from coal solids, comprising contacting the coal solids with a water-containing fluid, to thereby produce gases, liquids, and upgraded solids from the coal solids, under super-atmospheric pressure, at a temperature in the range of from about 600° F. to about 900° F. in the absence of externally supplied hydrogen or other reducing gas, and in the presence of an externally supplied, sulfur-resistant catalyst, selected from the group consisting of at least one basic metal carbonate, basic metal hydroxide, transition metal oxide, oxide-forming transition metal salt, and combinations thereof, wherein said catalyst is present in a catalytically effective amount, wherein the transition metal in the oxide and salt is selected from the group consisting of a transition metal of Group IVB, VB, VIB, and VIIB of the Periodic Chart and the metal in the basic metal carbonate and hydroxide is selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, and wherein sufficient water is present in the water-containing fluid and said pressure is sufficiently high so that the water in the water-containing fluid has a density of at least 0.10 gram per milliliter and serves as an effective solvent for the liquids and gases produced from the coal solids; and lowering said temperature or pressure or both, to thereby make the water in the water-containing fluid a less effective solvent for such liquids and gases and to thereby form separate phases.