Process for agglomerating coal

Claim 3

The method 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 oils, coal tar and other coal derived oils.

Claim 4

The method of claim 3 wherein the recovered coal-oil agglomerates reduced in oil content have from about 3% to 25% by weight coal of hydrocarbon oil.

Claim 5

A process for beneficiating coal comprising the steps of: (a) reducing coal size to form a first coal fraction of predominately coarse particle size, and a second coal fraction of predominately fine particle size; the weighted size average of the coarse coal particles being more than four times the weighted size average of fine coal particles; (b) combining the first coal fraction comprising predominately coarse particles, and the second coal fraction comprising predominately fine coal particles; the combined coal fraction having from about 60 to about 80 percent by weight coarse coal particles and from about 20 to about 40 percent by weight fine coal particles; (c) contacting an aqueous slurry of the combined coal particles of step (b) 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 pyrite; (d) contacting the slurry of coal particles with hydrocarbon oil to form coal oil agglomerates; and (e) recovering coal-oil agglomerates wherein the coal exhibits reduced iron pyrite and mineral content.

Claim 6

A process for beneficiating coal comprising the steps of: (a) reducing coal size to form a first coal fraction of predominately coarse particle size, and a second coal fraction of predominately fine particle size; the weighted size average of the coarse coal particles being more than four times the weighted size average of fine coal particles; (b) combining the first coal fraction comprising predominately coarse particles, and the second coal fraction comprising predominately fine coal particles; the combined coal fraction having from about 60 to about 80 percent by weight coarse coal particles and from about 20 to about 40 percent by weight fine coal particles; (c) contacting an aqueous slurry of the combined coal particles of step (b) 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 pyrite; (d) contacting the slurry of coal particles with hydrocarbon oil to form coal oil agglomerates; and (e) recovering coal-oil agglomerates wherein the coal exhibits reduced iron pyrite and mineral content.

Claim 7

The process of claim 4 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 oils, coal tar and other coal derived oils.

Claim 8

The process of claim 5 wherein the recovered coal-oil agglomerates have from about 3% to 25%, by weight of coal, of hydrocarbon oil.

Claim 9

A process for beneficiating coal comprising the steps of: (a) reducing coal size to form a first coal fraction of predominately coarse particle size, and a second coal fraction of predominately fine particle size; the weighted size average of the coarse coal particles being more than four times the weighted size average of fine coal particles; (b) contacting an aqueous slurry of the coal particles reduced in particle size of step (a) 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 pyrite; (c) combining the first coal fraction comprising predominately coarse particles, and the second coal fraction comprising predominately fine coal particles; the combined coal fraction having from about 60 to about 80 percent by weight coarse coal particles and from about 20 to about 40 percent by weight fine coal particles; (d) contacting the slurry of coal particles with hydrocarbon oil to form coal oil agglomerates; and (e) recovering coal-oil agglomerates wherein the coal exhibits reduced iron pyrite and mineral content.

Claim 10

A process for beneficiating coal comprising the steps of: (a) reducing coal size to form a first coal fraction of predominately coarse particle size, and a second coal fraction of predominately fine particle size; the weighted size average of the coarse coal particles being more than four times the weighted size average of fine coal particles; (b) contacting an aqueous slurry of the coal particles reduced in particle size of step (a) 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 pyrite; (c) combining the first coal fraction comprising predominately coarse particles, and the second coal fraction comprising predominately fine coal particles; the combined coal fraction having from about 60 to about 80 percent by weight coarse coal particles and from about 20 to about 40 percent by weight fine coal particles; (d) contacting the slurry of coal particles with hydrocarbon oil to form coal oil agglomerates; and (e) recovering coal-oil agglomerates wherein the coal exhibits reduced iron pyrite and mineral content.

Claim 11

The process of claim 7 wherein the hydrocarbon oils is selected from the group consisting of light cycle oil, heavy cycle oil, heavy gas oil, clarified oil, kerosene, heavy vacuum gas oil, residual oils, coal tar and other coal derived oils.

Claim 12

The process of claim 8 wherein the recovered coal-oil agglomerates have from about 3% to 25%, by weight of coal, of hydrocarbon oil.