Abstract: Pelletized carbonized biomass-based fuel products, methods, and apparatuses are provided. Methods include applying a binder and a first amount of water to at least partially carbonized biomass, applying a second amount of water to the at least partially carbonized biomass, and pelletizing the at least partially carbonized biomass in an inert atmosphere. Apparatuses include a feeder of at least partially carbonized biomass, a binder source and a first water source configured to provide a binder and water to the at least partially carbonized biomass, a second water source downstream of the binder and first water sources, a pelletizer configured to receive and pelletize the at least partially carbonized biomass, and an inert gas source configured to provide inert gas to the pelletizer.

Abstract: Pelletized fuel products, methods, and apparatuses are provided. The method includes pelletizing at least partially carbonized biomass in an inert atmosphere. The apparatus includes a feeder of at least partially carbonized biomass, a pelletizer configured to receive and pelletize the at least partially carbonized biomass, and an inert gas source configured to provide inert gas to the pelletizer.

Abstract: A system for treating biomass for the production of a composition of lignin pellets .is disclosed. Pellets comprising at least 50 percent lignin by dry weight is disclosed. Also disclosed are pellets produced from a lignin composition by a process comprising: pre-treating lignocellulosic biomass into pre-treated biomass; separating the pre-treated biomass into a first liquid component comprising sugars and a first solids component comprising cellulose and the lignin composition; hydrolysing the first solids component of the pre-treated biomass into a hydrolysed biomass comprising sugars and the lignin composition; separating the hydrolysed biomass into a second liquid component comprising sugars and a second solids component comprising the lignin composition; supplying the second solids component comprising the lignin composition to a pelleting apparatus to produce the pellets; wherein the lignocellulosic biomass comprises cellulose, hemi-cellulose and lignin.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for producing fuel briquettes from high moisture fine coal. The apparatus includes a coal fine pelletizer, a pellet dryer and a fuel briquette former all provided in-line for the efficient production of fuel briquettes. The method comprises forming pellets from coal fines, drying those pellets to a desired moisture content of about 1 to about 10% and forming fuel briquettes from the dried pellets.

Abstract: An artificial firelog of the invention includes as constituents (a) a combustible cellulosic material and (b) a combustible non-petroleum wax, wherein the relative proportions of the constituents are, by weight, from about 30% to about 70% of (a) and from about 30% to about 70% of (b) for 100 parts of (a) and (b). In one form of the invention, the combustible non-petroleum wax constituent may include one or more combustible materials derived from plant oils, vegetable oils, animal oils, fats, rosin, pitch, waxy materials and combinations thereof. In another form of the invention, the combustible non-petroleum wax constituent may include a formulated blend of individual non-petroleum wax components. In yet another form of the invention a combustible binding agent can be added to the blend of materials resulting in reduction of the portion of the more costly combustible wax component.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for producing fuel briquettes from high moisture fine coal. The apparatus includes a coal fine pelletizer, a pellet dryer and a fuel briquette former all provided in-line for the efficient production of fuel briquettes. The method comprises forming pellets from coal fines, drying those pellets to a desired moisture content of about 1 to about 10% and forming fuel briquettes from the dried pellets.

Abstract: A method of producing a synthetic fuel by treating fines of bituminous coal with an emulsion of a tall-oil mix, which may include enhancers that either increase the chemical change in the coal or reduce the cost of the synthetic fuel. Enhancers include poly vinyl acetate (PVA) and/or ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA), glycol, lignosulfonate, beet sugar bottoms, corn bottoms, brewery bottoms, vegetable tall oil, vegetable oil, and/or spent frying oil. The emulsion is sprayed into, and reacted with, the coal fines, resulting in a cost effective and industry-usable source of synthetic fuel.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing shaped, activated charcoal. According to the method, after being ground, carbon-bearing material, or a mixture of several carbon-bearing materials are rendered homogenous with a binding agent which contains water, or a mixture of several binding agents, at least one of which contains water. The mixture of carbon-bearing material and binding agent is then formed into shaped bodies. According to the invention, in order to consolidate the grain formation, these are dried until they exhibit a maximum total water content of 3% by wt. in relation to the shaped body. The shaped bodies which have been formed and dried in this manner are then subjected to a carbonization and subsequently a gas activation process.

Abstract: A chemical change agent containing water, tall oil, glycerides, and surfactants is used to create synthetic fuels. An alternate composition contains water, glycerides, and surfactants. The chemical change agent is formed by heating the tall oil; combining water, fatty acids, and surfactant; and adding the heated tall oil and the water, fatty acid, and surfactant to form an emulsion. The synthetic fuel contains coal and the chemical change agent. The synthetic fuel is formed by mixing coal with the chemical change agent and pressing the two components into a briquette or other suitable treatment to create a finished product.

Abstract: Binder compositions for converting coal waste into fuel including a distillable petroleum hydrocarbon emulsified with a surfactant and water are provided. The invention also includes methods for making the binder compositions. The methods include blending a distillable petroleum hydrocarbon petroleum hydrocarbon with water and a surfactant. In another aspect, a fuel product is provided which includes the reaction product of carbonaceous fine particles and a binder composition of this invention. The binder composition is provided in an amount necessary to increase the hydrophobic characteristics of the carbonaceous fine particles and bring about a statistically significant change in their chemistry. In one embodiment the binder composition is present in an amount between about 1.5 percent and about 4.0 percent of the total weight. Methods are also provided for making fuel from fine carbonaceous materials, which include exposing the carbonaceous materials to a binder composition of this invention.

Abstract: The present invention describes a process for the production of low ash fuel using calcined petroleum coke by crushing and screening of calcined petroleum coke below 3 mm size, mixing the crushed and screened materials to achieve a bulk density in the range of 760 to 800 kg/m3, mixing 10-100% of the resultant calcined petroleum coke with 0 to 50% coke breeze, pre-soaking the mix so obtained with 5-10% water, mixing with hinder followed by kneading in presence of live stream, then briquetting and curing of the raw briquettes in a furnace in a controlled oxidising atmoshpere to obtain the low ash fuel.

Abstract: A process of making coal fines into a commercially viable fuel product using tall oil and tall oil pitch emulsions. The tall oil based emulsions are sprayed into, and reacted with, the coal fines, resulting in a cost effective and industry-usable source of synthetic fuel.

Abstract: A coal agglomerate is produced by the combination of coal fines with a binder obtained by the direct liquefaction of biomass material. The direct liquefaction is carried out in the absence of oxygen at typical temperatures between about 450 and 700.degree. F. and typical pressures between 200 and 3,000 psi, according to known liquefaction processes. The liquefied bio-binder base is mixed with additives, if desired, such as fast pyrolysis tars and petroleum asphalt, in order to modify its characteristics to meet specific needs of particular applications, and the resulting mixture is sprayed on coal fines preheated to at least 250.degree. F. and allowed to react at about 300-400.degree. F. Combustible extenders and fillers; reinforcing fibers; and cross-linking agents may be mixed with the coal prior to combination with the binder to provide additional specific properties to the mixture. The resulting well mixed mass is then pelletized by the application of pressure in conventional equipment.

Abstract: A compressed briquette or other solid shape, object, or article useful as a coke substitute in blast furnaces disclosed as being manufactured so as to comprise a reaction product of fine carbonaceous material (such as coke breeze, coke fines, or petroleum coke), a reactive tar, and polymeric binder.

Abstract: In the vacuum filtering of coal slurries, dewatering of the filter cake is achieved by contacting the coal with a C.sub.8 to C.sub.20 aliphatic carboxylic acid or a derivative thereof, especially sodium oleate. Reductions in moisture levels are thereby achieved in a cost-effective manner.

Abstract: A method of recovering coal liquids and producing metallurgical coke utilizes low ash, low sulfur coal as a parent for a coal char formed by pyrolysis with a volatile content of less than 8%. The char is briquetted and heated in an inert gas over a prescribed heat history to yield a high strength briquette with less than 2% volatile content.

Abstract: Fuel briquettes are made by blending a caking coal with pitch at a temperature above 100.degree. C. but below 200.degree. C. to form a pitch/coal alloy binder which is then hot-blended with any caking coke, especially petroleum coke and optionally finely-divided limestone. The pressed briquettes are then subjected to hardening heat treatment and are found to be resistent to mechanical deterioration on long-term storage.

Abstract: A method for producing formed bodies from carbonaceous substances in which the starting materials are dry particles of synthetic graphite at least as fine as 20 mesh and dry particles of coal tar pitch at least as fine as 200 mesh. The synthetic graphite particles are intimately mixed with the coal tar pitch particles to form a mixture having about 4% to about 10% coal tar pitch and preferably about 6% to about 7% coal tar pitch. At least a portion of the mixture is then compressed under pressure sufficient to raise the temperature of the mixture to at least the softening point of the coal tar pitch. Pressure is maintained on the mixture for the period of time necessary to form a compact carbonaceous body having a volume at least equal to that of a sphere of 1/8 inch in diameter.

Abstract: Raw material bodies such as briquettes, for use in the production of silicon or silicon alloys, are formed by mixing a pitch and caking coal at a temperature above 100.degree. C. and up to 200.degree. C. to form a pitch/coal alloy. This hot binder composition is mixed with sand and a noncaking carbon carrier at a temperature in this range to form the starting composition from which preforms are pressed. The preforms are subjected to a heat treatment which involves raising the temperature to above 450.degree. C., preferably in a sand filled rotary furnace to harden the preforms into the bodies.