Patent US4249910A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4249910A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Process for removing sulfur from coal
Assignee: Atlantic Richfield Co
•
Filing: 1978-09-21
•
Granted: 1981-02-10
•
Expires: 1998-09-21
Abstract
Abstract A process for reducing the sulfur and ash content of coal comprising the steps of: (1) contacting coal particles containing ash and iron pyrite mineral matter with a promoting amount of at least one conditioning agent capable of modifying or altering the existing surface characteristics of the pyrite under conditions to effectuate alteration or modification of at least a portion of the contained pyritic sulfur; (2) agglomerating the coal particles while said surfaces are altered or modified in an aqueous medium with hydrocarbon oil; and (3) recovering coal hydrocarbon oil agglomerates wherein the coal exhibits reduced sulfur and ash content.
Inventors
- 👤 George P. Masologites
- 👤 Jui-Yuan Sun
- 👤 Jin S. Yoo
- 👤 Emmett H. Burk, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 21:09
CPC Classifications
C; C10; C10L; C10L9/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
120 words
A process for reducing the sulfur and ash content of coal comprising the steps of: (1) contacting coal particles containing ash and iron pyrite mineral matter with a promoting amount of at least one conditioning agent capable of modifying or altering the existing surface characteristics of the pyrite under conditions to effectuate alteration or modification of at least a portion of the contained pyritic sulfur; (2) agglomerating the coal particles while said pyrite surfaces are altered or modified in an aqueous medium with hydrocarbon oil; (3) separating coal hydrocarbon oil agglomerates from at least a portion of the iron pyrite mineral matter and ash; and (4) recovering coal hydrocarbon oil agglomerates wherein the coal exhibits reduced sulfur and ash content.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
120 words
A process for reducing the sulfur and ash content of coal comprising the steps of: (1) contacting coal particles containing ash and iron pyrite mineral matter with a promoting amount of at least one conditioning agent capable of modifying or altering the existing surface characteristics of the pyrite under conditions to effectuate alteration or modification of at least a portion of the contained pyritic sulfur; (2) agglomerating the coal particles while said pyrite surfaces are altered or modified in an aqueous medium with hydrocarbon oil; (3) separating coal hydrocarbon oil agglomerates from at least a portion of the iron pyrite mineral matter and ash; and (4) recovering coal hydrocarbon oil agglomerates wherein the coal exhibits reduced sulfur and ash content.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the conditioning agent is an inorganic compound which can hydrolyze in water.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process of claim 2 wherein the conditioning agent is an inorganic compound which hydrolyzes in water to form a high surface area inorganic gel.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
75 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the conditioning agent is selected from the group consisting of metal oxides and hydroxides having the formula M a O b . xH 2 O or M(OH).xH 2 ), wherein M is Al, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Ti, Cr, Mn, Mg, Pb, Ca, Ba, In or Sb; a, b and c are whole numbers depending on the ionic valence of M, and x is from 0 to about 3.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
63 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the conditioning agent is selected from the group consisting of metal aluminates having the formula M' d (AlO 3 ) 3 or M' f (AlO 2 ) g , wherein M is Fe, Co, Ca, Mg, Ba, Zn, Pb or Mo; and d, e, f and g are whole numbers depending on the ionic valence of M.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the conditioning agent is selected from the group consisting of alumina-silicates having the formula Al 2 O 3 .x SiO 2 wherein x is from about 0.5 to 5.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the conditioning agent is selected from the group consisting of metal silicates wherein the metal is calcium, magnesium tin, barium or iron.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the conditioning agent is selected from the group consisting of inorganic cement materials which can bind mineral matter.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 4 wherein the conditioning agent is selected from the group consisting of calcium oxide, magnesium oxide and mixtures thereof.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
The process of claim 4 wherein the conditioning agent is selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, aluminum hydroxide and mixtures thereof hydrolyzed in water forming an alumina gel.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
The process of claim 5 wherein the conditioning agent is selected from the group consisting of calcium, magnesium and iron aluminates and mixtures thereof.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 7 wherein the conditioning agent is selected from the group consisting of calcium silicates, magnesium silicates and mixtures thereof.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
The process of claim 8 wherein the conditioning agent is selected from the group consisting of portland cement, natural cement, masonry cement, pozzolan cement, calcined limestone and calcined dolomite.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
13 words
The process of claim 13 wherein the cement material is hydrolyzed portland cement.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process of claim 1 wherein contacting coal particles with conditioning agent is at a temperature in the range from about 0° C. to 100° C.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 15 wherein the temperature is in the range of from 20° C. to 100° C.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the coal particles are contacted with conditioning agent for a period of from about 1 minute to 2 hours.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process of claim 17 wherein the coal particles are contacted from a period of from 10 minutes to 1 hour.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the amount of conditioning agent is from about 0.05% to 15%, by weight of mineral matter.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrocarbon oil is derived from petroleum, shale oil, tar sand and coal.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
39 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrocarbon oil is selected from the group consisting of light cycle oil, heavy cycle oil, heavy gas oil, clarified oil, kerosene, heavy vacuum gas oil, residual oil, coal tar and mixtures thereof.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 20 wherein the coal hydrocarbon oil agglomerates contain from about 1% to 60%, by weight of coal, hydrocarbon oil.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the coal is selected from the group consisting of bituminous coal and higher ranked coal.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3849111A
Cited
US3756791A
Cited
US4084938A
Cited
US4092125A
Cited
US4033729A
Cited
US4155716A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1984-02-10 | 1984-08-11 | 1985-02-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1988-02-10 | 1988-08-11 | 1989-02-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1992-02-10 | 1992-08-11 | 1993-02-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |