Process for the preparation of hydrocarbons from carbon-containing material

Claim 1

A process for the preparation of hydrocarbons from coal comprising the following steps: (a) a finely comminuted coal is converted by gasification at a temperature from 1050° to 2000° C. in the presence of oxygen and steam into a gas mixture consisting substantially of carbon monoxide and hydrogen; (b) the gas mixture obtained in step (a) is partially converted into a aromatic hydrocarbon mixture with the use of a bifunctional crystalline silicate catalyst which (i) is capable of adsorbing more than 3% by weight of water at 25° C. and saturated water vapor pressure after dehydration at 400° C. in vacuo, and (ii) has, in the dehydrated form, the following gross composition, expressed in moles of the oxides: (1.0±0.3)(R).sub.2/n O. a Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3. b Al.sub.2 O.sub.3. c Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3. y(d SiO.sub.2 +e GeO.sub.2), wherein R=one or more mono- or bivalent cations, a≧0.1, b≧0, c≧0, a+b+c=1, y≧10, d≧0.1, e≧0, d+e=1, and n=the valency of R, and (iii) which contains one or more metal components with catalytic activity for conversion of an H 2 /CO mixture into hydrocarbons and/or oxygen-containing hydrocarbons; (c) the product of step (b) is separated into a liquid containing hydrocarbon with at least 3 carbon atoms and a gas containing unconverted hydrogen, carbon monoxide, nitrogen and resultant hydrocarbon gases; and (d) at least a part of the gas product of step (c) is separated into (i) a gas consisting substantially of hydrogen, (ii) a gas consisting substantially of carbon monoxide, nitrogen and argon, and (iii) a gas consisting substantially of methane and ethane and wherein at least a part of gas (i) is recycled to step (b) and at least a part of gas (iii) is recycled to step (a).