Coal-oil slurry preparation

Claim 1

A process for producing a pumpable coal/oil slurry product, useful as a liquid fuel, from pulverized sulfur-containing coal which comprises the steps of: (1) subjecting said pulverized coal to gravity separation to provide (a) a highest density refuse portion comprising the major portion of the ash and sulfur content of the coal feed, (b) a middlings coal portion of lower ash and sulfur content than said high density portion, and (c) a deep-cleaned lowest density coal portion having a sulfur content of less than about 1%; (2) subjecting said highest density refuse portion to gasification by partial combustion in oxygen (a) thereby obtaining a crude gas product comprising hydrogen, oxides of carban, hydrogen sulfide and steam, thereafter (b) subjecting said crude gas product to a water gas shift reaction in the presence of steam and over sulfur-resistant catalyst, to convert contained carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide with accompanying further production of hydrogen, and (c) removing said carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide from the products of said shift reaction to recover a purified hydrogen-rich gas; (3) introducing said middlings coal portion into a liquefaction zone and treating the same with a coal derived solvent and with said purified hydrogen-rich gas under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure, thereby effecting liquefaction of said middlings coal portion to produce a coal derived, benzene soluble hydrocarbon oil distillate; (4) slurrying said deep-cleaned coal portion of lowest density from step (1) with said coal derived hydrocarbon oil of step (3) to provide said coal/oil slurry product.