Coal suspensions in organic liquids

Claim 2

A mobile combustible suspension comprising: carbonaceous solids in particulate form; a combustible liquid hydrocarbon for dispersion of said solids; a gelling grade clay to cause the combustible liquid hydrocarbon to become gelled; and an alkanolamide of a carboxylic acid as a surfactant for dispersing the solids and clay within the suspension whereby the mobile suspension has a relatively high apparent viscosity at low shear and a relatively low apparent viscosity at high shear.

Claim 3

The suspension as set forth in claim 1 wherein the alkanolamide of a carboxylic acid is formed from the reaction between an alkanolamine and a fatty acid.

Claim 4

The suspension as set forth in claim 2 wherein the alkanolamine is selected from the group consisting of monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, monoisopropanolamine and diisopropanolamine.

Claim 5

The suspension as set forth in claim 2 wherein the fatty acid is selected from a group consisting of dodecanoic acid, tridecanoic acid, myristic acid, pentadecanoic acid, palmitic acid, margaric acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid.

Claim 6

The suspension as set forth in claim 1 wherein the liquid hydrocarbon is selected from the group consisting of fuel oil, mineral spirits, kerosene, coal tar, and pressure still oil or tar, or mixtures thereof.

Claim 7

The suspension as set forth in claim 1 wherein the carbonaceous solids are selected from the group consisting of coke, coal and asphalt.

Claim 8

The suspension as set forth in claim 6 wherein the coal is selected from the group consisting of lignite, bituminous, anthracite and cannel coal or mixtures thereof.

Claim 9

The suspension as set forth in claim 7 wherein the coal comprises a coal dust powder having a particle size between 100 and 200 mesh.

Claim 10

The suspension as set forth in claim 7 wherein the coal contains a volatile content of about 40% and an ash content of about 7%.

Claim 11

The suspension as set forth in claim 8 wherein the coal dust is about 88% finer than about 200 mesh.

Claim 12

The suspension as set forth in claim 1 wherein the clay is selected from the group consisting of attapulgite, Wyoming bentonite, sepiolite and palygorskite or mixtures thereof.

Claim 13

A suspension of carbonaceous solids in a combustible liquid hydrocarbon having a relatively high apparent viscosity at low shear and a relatively low apparent viscosity at high shear comprising: from about 25-70% by-weight of carbonaceous solids in particulate form; from about 28-56% by-weight of combustible liquid hydrocarbon; from about 0.5-3.0 weight percent of a gellint grade clay to cause the liquid hydrocarbon to become gelled; and from about 0.1-1.0 weight percent of an alkanolamide of a carboxylic acid as a surfactant of the type that will disperse the clay in the liquid and will not prevent the refloculation and formulation of a gel structure of the clay particles in the liquid, whereby the surfactant disperses the carbonaceous solids and the clay within the suspension.

Claim 14

A suspension of carbonaceous solids in a combustible liquid hydrocarbon having a relatively high apparent viscosity at low shear and a relatively low apparent viscosity at high shear comprising: from about 25-70% by-weight of carbonaceous solids in particulate form; from about 28-56% by-weight of combustible liquid hydrocarbon; from about 0.5-3.0 weight percent of a gellint grade clay to cause the liquid hydrocarbon to become gelled; and from about 0.1-1.0 weight percent of an alkanolamide of a carboxylic acid as a surfactant of the type that will disperse the clay in the liquid and will not prevent the refloculation and formulation of a gel structure of the clay particles in the liquid, whereby the surfactant disperses the carbonaceous solids and the clay within the suspension.

Claim 15

The suspension as set forth in claim 12 wherein the alkanolamide of a carboxylic acid is formed from the reaction between an alkanolamine and a fatty acid.

Claim 16

The suspension as set forth in claim 13 wherein the alkanolamine is selected from the group consisting of monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, monoisopropanolamine and diisopropanolamine.

Claim 17

The suspension as set forth in claim 13 wherein the fatty acid is selected from a group consisting of dodecanoic acid, tridecanoic acid, myristic acid, pentadecanoic acid, palmitic acid, margaric acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid.

Claim 18

A powdered coal suspension in fuel oil having a high apparent viscosity at low shear and a low apparent viscosity at high shear comprising: from about 50-60% by-weight of powdered coal; from about 38-49 weight percent of fuel oil; from about 0.5-1.0 weight percent gelling grade clay for causing the fuel oil to become gelled; and from about 0.1-0.33 weight percent of an alkanolamide of a carboxylic acid as a surfactant of the type that will disperse the clay in the liquid and will not prevent the refloculation and formulation of a gel structure of the clay particles in the liquid, whereby the surfactant disperses the carbonaceous solids and the clay within the suspension.

Claim 19

A powdered coal suspension in fuel oil having a high apparent viscosity at low shear and a low apparent viscosity at high shear comprising: from about 50-60% by-weight of powdered coal; from about 38-49 weight percent of fuel oil; from about 0.5-1.0 weight percent gelling grade clay for causing the fuel oil to become gelled; and from about 0.1-0.33 weight percent of an alkanolamide of a carboxylic acid as a surfactant of the type that will disperse the clay in the liquid and will not prevent the refloculation and formulation of a gel structure of the clay particles in the liquid, whereby the surfactant disperses the carbonaceous solids and the clay within the suspension.

Claim 24

The method of claim 17 or 18 wherein the alkanolamine is selected from the group consisting of monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, monoisopropanolamine and diisopropanolamine.

Claim 25

The method of claim 17 or 18 wherein the carboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of dodecanoic acid, tridecanoic acid, myristic acid, pentadecanoic , palmitic acid, margaric acid, stearic, oleic acid and linoleic acid.

Claim 26

The method of claim 17 or 18 wherein the carbonaceous solids are selected from the group consisting coke, coal, asphalt and mixtures thereof.

Claim 27

The method of claim 17 or 18 wherein the liquid hydrocarbon is selected from the group consisting of fuel oils, kerosene, coal tar, pressure still bottoms and mixtures thereof.

Claim 28

The method of claim 17 or 18 wherein the carbonaceous solids are in the range of about from 35-70% by-weight.

Claim 29

The method of claim 17 or 18 wherein the carbonaceous solids are in the range of about from 50-60% by-weight.

Claim 30

The method of claim 17 or 18 wherein the liquid hydrocarbon is in the range of about from 28-56% by-weight.

Claim 31

The method of claim 17 or 18 wherein the liquid hydrocarbon is in the range of about from 38-49% by-weight.

Claim 32

The method as set forth in claim 17 or 18 wherein the clay is in the range of about from 0.5-3.0% by-weight.

Claim 33

The method of claim 17 or 18 wherein the clay is in the range of about from 0.1-1.0% by-weight.

Claim 34

The method of claim 17 or 18 wherein the clay is in the range of about from 0.5-3.0% by-weight and the ratio of clay to alkanolamide is in the range of about 3/1 to 7/1.

Claim 35

The method as set forth in claim 17 or 18 wherein the clay is in the range of about from 0.5-3.0% by-weight and the ratio of clay to alkanolamide is in the range of about from 4/1 to 5/1.

Claim 36

The method as set forth in claim 17 or 18 wherein the clay is selected from the group consisting of attapulgite, Wyoming bentonite, sepiolite and palygorskite and mixtures thereof.

Claim 37

The method as set forth in claim 17 or 18 wherein the carbonaceous solids contain a volatile content of about 40% and ash content of about 7%.

Claim 38

The method as set forth in claim 17 or 18 wherein the clay is in the range of from about 0.1-1.0% by-weight and the ratio of clay to alkanolamide is in the range of about 3/1 to 7/1.

Claim 39

The method of claim 17 or 18 wherein the clay is in the range of about from 0.1-1.0% by-weight and the ratio of clay to alkanolamide is in the range of about from 4/1 to 5/1.