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US4687570A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Direct use of methane in coal liquefaction

Assignee: United States Department of Energy
•
Filing: 1985-06-19
•
Granted: 1987-08-18
•
Expires: 2005-06-19
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Abstract

Abstract This invention relates to a process for converting solid carbonaceous material, such as coal, to liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons utilizing methane, generally at a residence time of about 20-120 minutes at a temperature of 250°-750° C., preferably 350°-450° C., pressurized up to 6000 psi, and preferably in the 1000-2500 psi range, preferably directly utilizing methane 50-100% by volume in a mix of methane and hydrogen. A hydrogen donor solvent or liquid vehicle such as tetralin, tetrahydroquinoline, piperidine, and pyrolidine may be used in a slurry mix where the solvent feed is 0-100% by weight of the coal or carbonaceous feed. Carbonaceous feed material can either be natural, such as coal, wood, oil shale, petroleum, tar sands, etc., or man-made residual oils, tars, and heavy hydrocarbon residues from other processing systems.

Inventors

  • 👤 Muthu S. Sundaram
  • 👤 Meyer Steinberg

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-01 12:36
CPC Classifications
C; C10; C10G; C10G1/00; C10G1/06; C10G1/065; C10G1/02; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S208/00; Y10S208/951

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim 65 words
A process for the liquefaction of carbonaceous materials to produce predominantly liquid hydrocarbons comprising heating said materials in a liquefaction reactor to a temperature in the range of 250° C. to 750° C., under pressure up to 6000 psi of a gas containing methane in the initial gas feed at 50-100% by volume for a residence time in the liquefaction reactor of about 20-120 minutes.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 65 words
A process for the liquefaction of carbonaceous materials to produce predominantly liquid hydrocarbons comprising heating said materials in a liquefaction reactor to a temperature in the range of 250° C. to 750° C., under pressure up to 6000 psi of a gas containing methane in the initial gas feed at 50-100% by volume for a residence time in the liquefaction reactor of about 20-120 minutes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 15 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein the liquefaction is carried out at 400°-450 C.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 13 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein the gas employed is natural gas.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 13 words
The process of claim 3 wherein hydrogen is added to the natural gas.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 43 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein the solid carbonaceous feed material is selected from a member of a group consisting of natural raw materials, such as coal, wood, oil shale, petroleum, tar sands, and man-made residual oils, tars, and heavy hydrocarbon residues.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 13 words
The process according to claim 5 wherein the solid carbonaceous material is coal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 28 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein the carbonaceous material is slurried with a donor solvent selected from the group consisting of hydroaromatic solvents and hydrogenated anthracene oil.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 25 words
The process according to claim 7 wherein the hydroaromatic solvent employed is selected from the group consisting of tetralin, tetrahydroquinoline, piperidine, indoline, perhydropyrene, and pyrolidine.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US1922918A Cited
US1905520A Cited
US4149959A Cited
US4242108A Cited
US4303496A Cited
US4313816A Cited
US4334976A Cited
US4392942A Cited
US4412908A Cited
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US4605487A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1990-08-17 1991-02-16 1991-08-18 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1994-08-17 1995-02-16 1995-08-18 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1998-08-17 1999-02-16 1999-08-18 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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