Abstract: A method of making high strength coke briquettes suitable for use as blast furnace coke comprising,(a) providing coal,(b) heating the coal at a temperature at or above the softening point of the coal to form partially carbonized char,(c) cooling the partially carbonized char below the softening point of the coal,(d) mixing the cooled partially carbonized char and tar to form a mixture of tar and partially carbonized char,(e) briquetting the mixture of tar and partially carbonized char to form briquettes of tar and partially carbonized char,(f) calcinating the briquettes to form high strength briquettes.

Abstract: An improvement in a method for communicating the surface and a subterranean coal seam via a borehole positioned to provide access for the positioning of power transmission and fluid transmission lines from the seam to the surface, the improvement comprising; extending a portion of the borehole beneath the seam, casing at least a portion of the extension of the borehole and thereafter pumping water from the borehole extension.

Abstract: A drill housing includes an internal chamber with a rotatable drill retaining member positioned in the chamber and extending outwardly through the chamber upper open end portion. A hub member is positioned in surrounding nonrotatable engagement with the drill retaining member. A rotary motor is drivingly connected to the hub member to transmit rotation to the drill retaining member. The drill retaining member has a socket for receiving the shank of a drill steel that rotates with the drill retaining member. A first main bearing rotatably supports the hub member, and a stationary bearing carrier supports the first main bearing. A cover plate surrounds the drill retaining member and rotates with the hub member. A bearing seal is positioned between the cover plate and the bearing carrier to seal the first main bearing. The bearing seal has a rotatable portion that rotates with the cover plate and a stationary portion that abuts the bearing carrier.

Abstract: In a process for producing synthesis gas by reacting a solid carbonaceous fuel with water in the presence of a carbon dioxide acceptor to produce a synthesis gas rich in hydrogen with at least a portion of the carbon dioxide so produced being reacted with the carbon dioxide acceptor to produce calcium carbonate and to provide sufficient heat to maintain a desired reaction temperature, an improvement comprising; the use of finely-divided wood as the solid carbonaceous fuel.

Abstract: A method for producing a synthetic CO.sub.2 acceptor by feeding a mixture of finely divided silica and at least one finely divided calcium compound selected from the group consisting of calcium oxide and calcium carbonate to a fluidized bed; operating the fluidized bed at suitable conditions to produce pellets of synthetic CO.sub.2 acceptor and recovering the pellets of synthetic CO.sub.2 acceptor from the fluidized bed. Optionally, spent synthetic CO.sub.2 acceptor can be charged to the fluidized bed to produce regenerated pellets of synthetic CO.sub.2 acceptor.

Abstract: A method for producing a distillable hydrocarbonaceous stream and carbonaceous agglomerates from a heavy crude oil by charging the crude oil and finely divided carbonaceous solids to a rotary kiln with the crude oil and carbonaceous solids being charged in a weight ratio from about 0.6 to about 1.5; tumbling the crude oil and finely divided carbonaceous solids in the rotary kiln at a temperature from about 850.degree. to about 1000.degree. F. for up to about 30 minutes to produce a vaporous stream and agglomerate particles containing a residual portion of the crude oil and finely divided carbonaceous solids; separating the agglomerate particles into a product portion of a desired particle size range and a recycle portion; grinding the recycle portion to produce the finely divided carbonaceous solids and heating the finely divided carbonaceous solids prior to recycling the carbonaceous solids to mixture with the crude oil.

Abstract: A method for removing hydrogen sulfide and nitric oxide from gaseous mixtures by adjusting the mol ratio of hydrogen sulfide to nitric oxide to a value from about 0.5 to about 1.1 and thereafter mixing a free oxygen containing gas with the gaseous mixture to provide a quantity of oxygen greater than about 0.5 mols of oxygen per mol of nitric oxide in the gaseous mixture. Either hydrogen sulfide or nitric oxide may be removed substantially completely.

Abstract: An improvement in the production of low mineral content fuel by coal liquefaction processes which yield as a primary product a mixture of liquid and solids a part of which are suspended in the liquid whereby the separation of the suspended solids is facilitated by the addition of an effective amount of a suitable chelating agent to the mixture. The chelating agent is optionally added as a solution of the chelating agent in a suitable solvent and desirably is present in an amount from about 100 to about 150% of the stoichiometric amount required to react with the suspended solids in the mixture.

Abstract: A process for gasifying finely-divided coal in a fixed bed gasifier, the process comprising: charging finely-divided coal to a stirred semi-fluidized carbonizer reaction zone where the coal is contacted with oxygen and agglomerated into coal derived particulate solids of a size suitable as a feedstock to a fixed bed gasifer and thereafter passed to a fixed bed gasifer.

Abstract: A synthetic CO.sub.2 acceptor consisting essentially of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of calcium oxide and calcium carbonate supported in a refractory carrier matrix, the carrier having the general formula Ca.sub.5 (SiO.sub.4).sub.2 CO.sub.3. A method for producing the synthetic CO.sub.2 acceptor is also disclosed.

Abstract: A high temperature pressure gauge comprising a pressure gauge positioned in fluid communication with one end of a conduit which has a diaphragm mounted in its other end. The conduit is filled with a low melting metal alloy above the diaphragm for a portion of its length with a high temperature fluid being positioned in the remaining length of the conduit and in the pressure gauge.

Abstract: An apparatus for dividing a stream of particulate solids into a plurality of streams of particulate solids the apparatus comprising a belt conveyor having a leveler positioned above the belt surface to level the particulate solids on the belt surface so that the solids are discharged into a plurality of chutes to produce a plurality of streams each of which comprises a portion of the feedstream equal to a fraction defined by the width of the chute divided by the width of the belt conveyor.

Abstract: A process for producing a feedstock for a fixed bed gasifier from finely-divided coal by treating the coal in a first stirred semi-fluidized carbonizer reaction zone to produce particulate coal derived solids larger than the finely-divided coal charged to the first carbonizer and thereafter charging the particulate coal derived solids so produced to a second stirred semi-fluidized carbonizer reaction zone to produce particulate coal derived solids of a size consist greater than 1/4 inch which is charged to a fixed bed gasifier.

Abstract: A method for producing agglomerate particles from finely divided carbonaceous solids by mixing the solids with oil in an aqueous medium in a first mixing zone; passing the mixture to a second mixing zone; and mixing an additional quantity of finely divided carbonaceous solids with the mixture in the second mixing zone.

Abstract: A cylindrical valve spool is slidably positioned in a chamber of a valve housing having a plurality of fluid inlet ports and a plurality of fluid outlet ports. The valve spool is movable to a selected one of a plurality of positions to interconnect a selected inlet port with a selected outlet port. A detent apparatus is associated with one end of the valve spool and is operable to lock the valve spool in one of three positions in the chamber. A remotely operated first pilot valve is operable to convey pressurized fluid to either end of the valve spool and thereby shift the valve spool to either a first or second end position for interconnecting selected inlet and outlet ports. A centering device is operable to shift the valve spool from either detented end position to a detented center or neutral position by deactivating the pilot valve and simultaneously conveying pressurized fluid from a second pilot valve to the centering apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus for compacting, degassing and carbonizing carbonaceous agglomerates, the apparatus comprising a rotary kiln having an agglomerate inlet means for introducing green agglomerates into the kiln near the inlet of the kiln and a heating medium inlet for introducing a heating medium comprising a finely divided solid into the kiln at a preselected location intermediate the inlet end of the kiln and the outlet end of the kiln to produce a mixture at a temperature above the carbonizing temperature of the agglomerates and a sieve positioned to receive the products from the rotary kiln and separate the heating medium and the compacted, degassed, carbonized agglomerate product. A method for producing compacted, degassed, carbonized carbonaceous agglomerates by the use of the apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: In a process for hydrocracking a heavy aromatic polynuclear carbonaceous feedstock containing reactive alkaline constituents to produce liquid hydrocarbon fuels boiling below about 475.degree. C. at atmospheric pressure by contacting the feedstock with hydrogen in the presence of a molten metal halide catalyst, thereafter separating a gaseous stream containing hydrogen, at least a portion of the hydrocarbon fuels and acid gases from the molten metal halide and regenerating the molten metal halide, thereby producing a purified molten metal halide stream for recycle to the hydrocracking zone, an improvement comprising; contacting the gaseous acid gas, hydrogen and hydrocarbon fuels-containing stream with the feedstock containing reactive alkaline constituents to remove acid gases from the acid gas containing stream.

Abstract: In a process for regenerating spent molten zinc chloride which has been used in the hydrocracking of coal or ash-containing polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbonaceous materials derived therefrom and which contains zinc chloride, zinc oxide, zinc oxide complexes and ash-containing carbonaceous residue, by incinerating the spent molten zinc chloride to vaporize the zinc chloride for subsequent condensation to produce a purified molten zinc chloride: an improvement comprising the use of clay in the incineration zone to suppress the vaporization of metals other than zinc. Optionally water is used in conjunction with the clay to further suppress the vaporization of metals other than zinc.

Abstract: In a process for hydrocracking heavy aromatic polynuclear carbonaceous feedstocks to produce hydrocarbon fuels boiling below about 475.degree. C. by contacting the feedstocks with hydrogen in the presence of a molten zinc chloride catalyst and thereafter separating at least a major portion of the hydrocarbon fuels from the spent molten zinc chloride catalyst, an improvement comprising: adjusting the FeCl.sub.2 content of the molten zinc chloride to from about 2 to about 12 mol percent based on the mixture of ferrous chloride and molten zinc chloride.

Abstract: In methods for producing agglomerate particles from aqueous slurries containing from about 10 to about 40 weight percent solids, the solids comprising finely divided carbonaceous solids and finely divided inorganic solids, by mixing the aqueous slurry with oil in a first mixing zone to form a mixture and thereafter further agitating the resulting mixture in at least one other mixing zone to produce agglomerate particles containing the carbonaceous solids and the oil and recovering the product agglomerate particles, an improvement comprising (a) separating finely divided inorganic solids from the aqueous slurry after removal of the product agglomerate particles therefrom; (b) thereafter separating smaller agglomerates of carbonaceous solids and oil from the aqueous slurry after separation of the product agglomerate particles and the inorganic solids therefrom; and (c) recycling the smaller agglomerates to the second mixing zone.