Stabilized slurry and process for preparing same

Claim 2

A carbonaceous compact comprising finely divided solid carbonaceous particles, wherein: (a) said compact has a specific surface area of from about 0.8 to about 4.0 square meters per cubic centimeter and an interstitial porosity of less than about 20 volume percent; (b) from about 5 to about 70 weight percent of said solid carbonaceous particles are of colloidal size, being smaller than about 3 microns; (c) said compact of finely divided solid carbonaceous particles has a particle size distribution substantially in accordance with the following formula: ##EQU8##

Claim 3

wherein: 1. CPFT is the cumulative percent of said solid carbonaceous material finer than a certain specified particle size D, in volume percent; 2. k is the number of component distributions in the compact and is at least 1; 3. X j is the fractional amount of the component j in the compact, is less than or equal to 1.0, and the sum of all of the X j 's in the consist is 1.0; 4. N is the distribution modulus of fraction j and is greater than about 0.001; 5. D is the diameter of any particle in the compact and ranges from about 0.05 to about 1180 microns; 6. D s is the diameter of the smallest particle in fraction j, as measured at 1% CPFT on a plot of CPFT versus size D, is less than D L , and is greater than 0.05 microns; and 7. D L is the diameter of the size modulus in fraction j, measured by sieve size or its equivalent, and is from about 15 to about 1180 microns; and (d) at least 85 weight percent of the carbonaceous particles in the compact have a particle size less than 300 microns.

Claim 4

wherein: 1. CPFT is the cumulative percent of said solid carbonaceous material finer than a certain specified particle size D, in volume percent; 2. k is the number of component distributions in the compact and is at least 1; 3. X j is the fractional amount of the component j in the compact, is less than or equal to 1.0, and the sum of all of the X j 's in the consist is 1.0; 4. N is the distribution modulus of fraction j and is greater than about 0.001; 5. D is the diameter of any particle in the compact and ranges from about 0.05 to about 1180 microns; 6. D s is the diameter of the smallest particle in fraction j, as measured at 1% CPFT on a plot of CPFT versus size D, is less than D L , and is greater than 0.05 microns; and 7. D L is the diameter of the size modulus in fraction j, measured by sieve size or its equivalent, and is from about 15 to about 1180 microns; and (d) at least 85 weight percent of the carbonaceous particles in the compact have a particle size less than 300 microns.

Claim 5

The compact as recited in claim 1, wherein k is 1.

Claim 6

The compact as recited in claim 2, wherein from about 5 to about 30 weight percent of said solid carbonaceous particles are of colloidal size, being smaller than about 3 microns.

Claim 7

The compact as recited in claim 3, wherein said solid carbonaceous particles are coal particles.

Claim 8

The compact as recited in claim 4, wherein said compact has a specific surface area of from about 0.8 to about 3.0 square meters per cubic centimeter and an interstitial porosity of less than about 15 volume percent, said N is from about 0.001 to about 10, and at least 90 weight percent of the coal particles in the compact have a particle size less than 300 microns.

Claim 9

The compact as recited in claim 5, wherein said compact has a specific surface area of from about 0.8 to about 2.4 square meters per cubic centimeter and an interstitial porosity of less than about 10 volume percent, said N is from about 0.01 to about 1.0, and at least 95 weight percent of the coal particles in the compact have a particle size less than 300 microns.

Claim 10

The compact as recited in claim 6, wherin said compact has a specific surface area of from about 0.8 to about 2.0 square meters per cubic centimeter, and said N is from about 0.01 to about 0.5.

Claim 11

The compact as recited in claim 3, wherein said solid carbonaceous particles are coke particles.

Claim 12

The compact as recited in claim 8, wherein said compact has a specific surface area of from about 0.8 to about 3.0 square meters per cubic centimeter and an interstitial porosity of less than about 15 volume percent, said N is from about 0.001 to about 10, and at least 90 weight percent of the coke particles in the compact have a particle size less than 300 microns.

Claim 13

The compact as recited in claim 9, wherein said compact has a specific surface area of from about 0.8 to about 2.4 square meters per cubic centimeter and an interstitial porosity of less than about 10 volume percent, said N is from about 0.01 to about 1.0, and at least 95 weight percent of the coke particles in the compact have a particle size less than 300 microns.

Claim 14

The compact as recited in claim 10, wherein said compact has a specific surface area of from about 0.8 to about 2.0 square meters per cubic centimeter, and said N is from about 0.01 to about 0.5.

Claim 15

The compact as recited in claim 3, wherein said solid carbonaceous particles comprise a mixture of carbonaceous materials.

Claim 16

A stable, solids-liquid slurry comprising a consist of finely divided particles of solid carbonaceous material dispersed in said liquid, wherein: (a) said slurry is comprised of at least about 60 volume percent of said solid carbonaceous material (dry basis), less than about 40 volume percent of said liquid, and from about 0.01 to about 4.0 weight percent (based upon the weight of dry solid carbonaceous material) of dispersing agent; (b) said slurry has a yield stress of from about 3 to about 18 Pascals and Brookfield viscosity at a solids content of 70 volume percent, ambient temperature, ambient pressure, and a shear rate of 100 revolutions per minute of less than 5,000 centipoise; (c) said consist has a specific surface area of from about 0.8 to about 4.0 square meters per cubic centimeter and an interstitial porosity of less than 20 volume percent; (d) from about 5 to about 70 weight percent of said particles of solid carbonaceous material are of colloidal size, being smaller than about 3 microns; (e) said consist of finely divided particles of solid carbonaceous material has a particle size distribution substantially in accordance with the CPFT formula described in claim 1; (f) at least 85 weight percent of the carbonaceous particles in the consist have a particle size less thanf 300 microns; (g) the net zeta potential of said colloidal size particles of solid carbonaceous material is from about 15 to about 85 millivolts; and (h) the concentration of solid carbonaceous material in said slurry, the interstitial porosity of said consist, the specific surface area of said consist, and the zeta potential of said colloidal size particles of solid carbonaceous material are interrelated in accordance with the following formula: V.sub.s +P.sub.s +SA+240/ZP=H wherein: 1. V s is the percent, by volume, of solid carbonaceous material in said slurry; 2. P is the porosity of said consist in the slurry, in percent; 3. S.A. is the specific surface area of said consist in said slury, in square meters per cubic centimeter; 4. Z.P. is the net zeta potential of said colloidal size particles of carbonaceous material in said consist, in millivolts, and 5. H is from about 75 to about 98.

Claim 17

The slurry as recited in claim 13 wherein k is 1.

Claim 18

The slurry as recited in claim 13, wherein from about 5 to about 30 weight percent of said solid carbonaceous particles are of colloidal size, being smaller than about 3 microns.

Claim 19

The slurry as recited in claim 15, wherein said finely divided particles of solid carbonaceous material are finely divided coal particles.

Claim 20

The slurry as recited in claim 16, wherein said liquid is water.

Claim 21

The slurry as recited in claim 17, wherein said consist has a specific surface area of from about 0.8 to about 3.0 square meters per cubic centimeter and an interstitial porosity of less than about 15 volume percent, said N is from about 0.001 to about 10, and at least 90 weight percent of the coal particles in the consist have a particle size less than 300 microns.

Claim 22

The slurry as recited in claim 18, wherein said consist has a specific surface area of from about 0.8 to about 2.4 square meters per cubic centimeter and an interstitial porosity of less than about 10 volume percent, said N is from about 0.1 to about 1.0, and at least 95 weight percent of the coal particles in the consist have a particle size less than 300 microns.

Claim 23

The slurry as recited in claim 19, wherein said consist has a specific area of from about 0.8 to about 2.0 square meters per cubic centimeter, and said N is from about 0.01 to about 0.5.

Claim 24

The slurry as recited in claim 16, wherein said liquid is a mixture of water and petroleum liquid.

Claim 25

The slurry as recited in claim 16, wherein said liquid is petroleum liquid.

Claim 26

The slurry as recited in claim 16, wherein said liquid is an alcohol liquid containing from 1 to 10 carbon atoms.

Claim 27

The slurry as recited in claim 15, wherein said finely divided particles of solid carbonaceous material are finely divided coke particles.

Claim 28

The slurry as recited in claim 24, wherein said liquid is petroleum liquid.

Claim 29

The slurry as recited in claim 25, wherein said petroleum liquid is selected from the group consisting of number 2 fuel oil, number 4 fuel oil, number 6 fuel oil, gasoline, naphtha, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 30

The slurry as recited in claim 26, wherein said consist has a specific surface area of from about 0.8 to about 3.0 square meters per cubic centimeter and an interstitial porosity of less than about 15 volume percent, said N is from about 0.001 to about 10, and at least 90 weight percent of the coke particles in the consist have a particle size less than 300 microns.

Claim 31

The slurry as recited in claim 27, wherein said consist has a specific area of from about 0.8 to about 2.4 square meters per cubic centimeter and an interstitial porosity of less than about 10 volume percent, said N is from about 0.01 to about 1.0, and at least 95 weight percent of the coke particles in the consist have a particle size less than 300 microns.

Claim 32

The slurry as recited in claim 28, wherein said compact has a specific surface area of from about 0.8 to about 2.0 square meters per cubic centimeter, and said N is from about 0.01 to about 0.5.

Claim 33

The slurry as recited in claim 15, wherein said solid carbonaceous material comprises a mixture of carbonaceous materials.

Claim 34

A method of preparing a carbonaceous material-fluid suspension with a Brookfield viscosity at a solids content of 70 volume percent, ambient temperature, ambient pressure, and 100 revolutions per minute, of less than 5,000 centipoise, comprising the steps of: (a) providing the carbonaceous compact of claim 1; and (b) mixing said compact with dispersing agent and a sufficient amount of fluid to produce a suspension containing at least about 60 volume percent of said solid carbonaceous material (dry basis), less than about 40 volume percent of said fluid, and from about 0.01 to about 4.0 weight percent, by weight of dry solid carbonaceous material, of dispersing agent.