Recovery of catalysts from the hydrogenation of coal

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein the volatilized catalyst compound is recovered by introducing it into a solvent for such compound.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 wherein the molten ash is quenched after withdrawal of volatile catalyst compound and catalyst compound remaining in the ash is removed by treatment of the ash with a solvent for said catalyst compound.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrogenation catalyst is selected from the group consisting of cobalt, iron, nickel, manganese and molybdenum, compounds of said metals, and mixtures of said substances.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrogenation catalyst is molybdenum, a molybdenum compound or a mixture of the metal and a compound thereof, the reactant with which the withdrawn molten ash is contacted is oxygen, and the volatilized catalyst is in the form of an oxide.

Claim 7

The process of claim 3 wherein the reactant with which the molten ash is contacted is chlorine gas, and the volatilized catalyst is in the form of a chloride.

Claim 8

The process of claim 6 in which the volatilized metallic chloride catalyst is condensed and dissolved in water.

Claim 9

The process of claim 5 in which the volatilized oxide of molybdenum is condensed and dissolved in an aqueous solution of ammonium hydroxide.

Claim 10

In a continuous coal hydrogenation process wherein coal is hydrogenated by hydrogen-containing gases in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst which is carried out of the hydrogenation vessel with the effluent stream and is contained in the carbonaceous residue remaining after separation of hydrocarbon products and wherein the catalyst comprises a compound of a metal having a volatization temperature above that of the fusion temperature of coal ash, the improvement comprising reacting said carbonaceous residue with steam and oxygen in a synthesis gas generator in which the temperature is about 2400° F. to 3100° F. to provide hot hydrogen-containing gases for the hydrogenation reaction and molten ash containing at least a portion of said catalyst in metallic form, removing said molten ash from the synthesis generator, contacting said withdrawn molten ash with a chemical reactant which will form a compound with said metallic catalyst which compound has a volatilization temperature below the temperature of the molten ash, withdrawing volatilized catalyst compound from said ash and recovering said compound for reuse in the hydrogenation process.

Claim 11

In a continuous coal hydrogenation process wherein coal is hydrogenated by hydrogen-containing gases in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst which is carried out of the hydrogenation vessel with the effluent stream and is contained in the carbonaceous residue remaining after separation of hydrocarbon products and wherein the catalyst comprises a compound of a metal having a volatization temperature above that of the fusion temperature of coal ash, the improvement comprising reacting said carbonaceous residue with steam and oxygen in a synthesis gas generator in which the temperature is about 2400° F. to 3100° F. to provide hot hydrogen-containing gases for the hydrogenation reaction and molten ash containing at least a portion of said catalyst in metallic form, removing said molten ash from the synthesis generator, contacting said withdrawn molten ash with a chemical reactant which will form a compound with said metallic catalyst which compound has a volatilization temperature below the temperature of the molten ash, withdrawing volatilized catalyst compound from said ash and recovering said compound for reuse in the hydrogenation process.

Claim 12

The process of claim 9, wherein the hydrogenation catalyst comprises a molybdenum compound, the reactant with which the molten ash is contacted comprises oxygen, the vaporized molybdenum oxide is condensed and dissolved in an aqueous solution of ammonium hydroxide and the resulting solution is used to catalyze coal for hydrogenation.