Process for the liquefaction of coal and separation of solids from the product stream

Claim 1

A process for producing hydrocarbonaceous liquid products from coal which comprises the steps of: (a) contacting the coal, at a temperature of from about 150° to about 450° C. and a pressure of from about 10 to about 300 atmospheres with a hydrogenated coal oil solvent having been hydrogenated to remove at least about 80% of the asphaltenes, and hydrogen; (b) separating gas from the resultant mixture to provide a liquid phase comprising coal extract, a hydrogen-depleted liquefaction zone effluent solvent and finely divided solid particles; (c) supplying said liquid phase including substantially all of said hydrogen-depleted liquefaction zone effluent solvent, to a pre-mix zone and therein commingling the same with from about 10 weight percent to about 1000 weight percent of a light aromatic solvent selected from the group consisting of benzene, toluene and xylene and with from about 0.1 weight percent to about 1000 weight percent of fresh hydrogenated coal oil solvent having been hydrogenated to remove at least about 80% of the asphaltenes at a temperature of from about 10° to about 150° C. and a pressure of from about atmospheric to about 25 atmospheres; (d) introducing the mixture from the pre-mix zone to a separation zone and therein separating a solid ash from the admixed liquids; (e) thereafter removing said light aromatic solvent from said admixed liquids in a solvent recovery zone; (f) removing an ash-free hydrocarbon stream from said solvent recovery zone and hydrogenating at least a portion thereof to form a hydrogenated coal oil, said coal oil having been hydrogenated to remove at least about 80% of the asphaltenes; and (g) supplying at least a portion of said hydrogenated coal oil to step (a) and (c) as said hydrogenated coal oil solvent.