Abstract: Hydroprocessed hydrocarbon compositions are inhibited or prevented from forming sediment upon exposure to light by the addition of chemical additives. These sediment inhibiting additives are polyalkenylsuccinimides, calcium sulfonates, metal phenates, polyol esters, and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: Coal, petroleum residuum and similar carbonaceous feed materials are subjected to hydroconversion in the presence of molecular hydrogen to produce a hydroconversion effluent which is then subjected to one or more separation steps to remove lower molecular weight liquids and produce a heavy bottoms stream containing high molecular weight liquids and unconverted carbonaceous material. The viscosity of the bottoms streams produced in the separation step or steps is prevented from increasing by treating the feed to the separation step or steps with hydrogen sulfide gas prior to or during the separation step or steps. The viscosity of the heavy bottoms stream produced in the final separation step is also controlled by treating these bottoms with hydrogen sulfide gas.

Abstract: Carbon-containing solids such as oil shale or coal are pyrolyzed or retorted in an apparatus constructed in such a manner that the heat required for pyrolysis is supplied by burning residual organic material in the pyrolyzed solids in an external combustion zone and in an internal combustion zone that is situated with respect to the pyrolysis or retorting zone such that the heat of combustion is transferred through the walls of the internal combustion zone into the pyrolysis or retorting zone. The pyrolyzed solids are passed from the retorting zone to either the external combustion zone or the internal combustion zone wherein a portion of the organic material in the solids is burned. The partially burned solids exiting this zone are then passed to either the external combustion zone or the internal combustion zone where all or a portion of the remaining organic material is burned.

Abstract: Coal, petroleum residuum and similar carbonaceous feed materials are subjected to hydroconversion in the presence of molecular hydrogen to produce a hydroconversion effluent which is then subjected to one or more separation steps to remove lower molecular weight liquids and produce a heavy bottoms stream containing high molecular weight liquids and unconverted carbonaceous material. The viscosity of the bottoms streams produced in the separation step or steps is prevented from increasing rapidly by treating the feed to the separation step or steps with ammonia gas prior to or during the separation step or steps. The viscosity of the heavy bottoms stream produced in the final separation step is also controlled by treating these bottoms with ammonia gas. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the effluent from the hydroconversion reactor is subjected to an atmospheric distillation followed by a vacuum distillation and the feeds to these distillations are contacted with ammonia during the distillations.

Abstract: Hydrocarbon liquids are recovered from run-of-mine oil-bearing rock composed primarily of limestone by separating the rock into a low-density fraction and a high-density fraction, contacting the low-density fraction with an organic solvent in an extraction zone thereby extracting the oil from the low-density fraction, and recovering the extracted oil from the organic solvent.

Abstract: Metal constituents are recovered from the heavy bottoms produced during the liquefaction of coal and similar carbonaceous solids in the presence of a catalyst containing metal constituents by reducing the carbonaceous content of the heavy bottoms, contacting the resultant heavy bottoms deficient in carbonaceous material with an aqueous solution of a mineral acid in the presence of an added alcohol and an added oxidizing agent to extract the metal constituent from the insoluble catalyst residues into the aqueous solution, and using the metal constituents extracted as constituents of the catalyst. Preferably, the metal constituent comprising the catalyst is molybdenum, the mineral acid is sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid or phosphoric acid, the oxidizing agent is hydrogen peroxide and the alcohol is methanol.

Abstract: Hydrocarbon liquids are recovered from kerogen-containing oil shale by treating the oil shale with gaseous ammonia or a gaseous aliphatic amine prior to or during contact of the oil shale with an organic solvent. The hydrocarbon liquids thus extracted from the oil shale are then recovered from the solvent. The gaseous treatment step will normally take place at a temperature between about 500.degree. F. and about 800.degree. F. and at a pressure between about 200 psig and about 1000 psig. Preferably, the kerogen-containing oil shale will be treated with the ammonia or other gas prior to the extraction step.

Abstract: Metal constituents are recovered from the heavy bottoms produced during the liquefaction of coal and similar carbonaceous solids in the presence of a catalyst containing a metal capable of forming an acidic oxide by burning the heavy bottoms in a combustion zone at a temperature below the fusion temperature of the ash to convert insoluble metal-containing catalyst residues in the bottoms into soluble metal-containing oxides; contacting the oxidized solids formed in the combustion zone with an aqueous solution of a basic alkali metal salt to extract the soluble metal-containing oxides in the form of soluble alkali metal salts of the metal-containing oxides and recycling the soluble alkali metal salts to the liquefaction zone. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the bottoms are subjected to partial oxidation, pyrolysis, coking, gasification, extraction or a similar treatment process to recover hydrocarbon liquids and/or gases prior to the burning or combustion step.

Abstract: Coal, oil shale and similar carbonaceous solids are beneficiated by subjecting the solids to electromagnetic radiation having a frequency between about 0.1 MHz and about 10.sup.5 MHz in the presence of an aqueous acid solution. The electromagnetic energy enables the acid to solubilize a substantial portion of the mineral matter contained in the solids at low temperatures and pressures, thereby producing beneficiated carbonaceous solids containing relatively small amounts of inorganic constituents.

Abstract: Hydrocarbon liquids and/or gases are recovered from thick underground deposits of oil-bearing limestone or dolomite by drilling two or more boreholes from the earth's surface into the lower part of the deposit, establishing communication between the boreholes, burning the oil in said limestone or dolomite in an area between the boreholes to decompose the alkaline earth carbonate into alkaline earth oxide, flushing out the alkaline earth oxide formed by the combustion with water to form a cavity, collapsing the overlying oil-bearing limestone or dolomite into the cavity to form a rubblized zone extending vertically to a point near the upper boundary of the deposit, driving a flame front vertically through the rubblized zone to liberate hydrocarbon liquids and produce gases, and recovering the liquids and/or gases from the rubblized zone.

Abstract: In a coal gasification operation or similar conversion process carried out in the presence of an alkali metal-containing catalyst wherein particles containing alkali metal residues are produced, alkali metal constituents are recovered from the particles by treating them with electromagnetic radiation having a frequency between about 0.10 MHz and about 10.sup.5 MHz in the presence of water or other aqueous medium. During the treatment step, the electromagnetic radiation facilitates the extraction of alkali metal constituents from the water-insoluble alkali metal compounds comprising the alkali metal residues. The resultant aqueous solution enriched in water-soluble alkali metal constituents is then separated from the particles depleted in alkali metal constituents and recycled to the gasification process where the alkali metal constituents serve as at least a portion of the alkali metal constituents which comprise the alkali metal-containing catalyst.

Abstract: Methanol is produced by gasifying a carbonaceous feed material with steam in the presence of a carbon-alkali metal catalyst and added hydrogen and carbon monoxide at a temperature between about 1000.degree. F. and about 1500.degree. F.

Abstract: A size fraction of oil shale is upgraded by separating the shale into a first low density fraction containing particles relatively rich in kerogen and a first high density fraction containing particles relatively lean in kerogen, crushing the first low density fraction to produce smaller particles, separating the smaller particles into a second low density fraction and a second high density fraction and recovering the second low density fraction as high grade oil shale rich in kerogen.

Abstract: Methanol is produced by gasifying a carbonaceous feed material with steam in the presence of a carbon-alkali metal catalyst and added hydrogen and carbon monoxide at a temperature between about 1000.degree. F. and about 1500.degree. F.

Abstract: Coal or a similar solid carbonaceous feed material is converted into lower molecular weight liquid hydrocarbons by contacting the feed material with a hydrogen-donor solvent containing above about 0.6 weight percent donatable hydrogen and molecular hydrogen in a liquefaction zone or a series of two or more liquefaction zones under liquefaction conditions in the presence of an added carbon-alkali metal catalyst comprising a carbon-alkali metal reaction product prepared by heating an intimate mixture of carbonaceous solids and an alkali metal constituent to a temperature above about 800.degree. F. in a reaction zone external to the liquefaction zone.

Abstract: A size fraction of coal is physically cleaned by separating the coal into a low density fraction containing relatively small amounts of inorganic constituents and a high density fraction containing relatively large amounts of inorganic constituents, crushing the low density fraction to produce smaller particles, separating the smaller particles into a low density fraction and a high density fraction and recovering the low density fraction as clean coal product.

Abstract: Coal or similar liquefiable carbonaceous solids are converted into hydrocarbon liquids by contacting the feed solids with molecular hydrogen in the absence of an added hydrocarbon solvent and in the presence of an added alkali metal compound under liquefaction conditions in one or more liquefaction zones.

Abstract: Carbonaceous solids are contacted in the presence of water with potassium sulfate and a calcium compound selected from the group consisting of calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, and calcium carbonate thereby producing treated carbonaceous solids which are then gasified. The calcium compound apparently activates the relatively noncatalytic potassium sulfate thereby producing a substantial catalytic effect on the gasification reactions.

Abstract: In a coal gasification operation or similar conversion process carried out in the presence of an alkali metal-containing catalyst wherein solid particles containing alkali metal residues are produced, alkali metal constituents are recovered from the particles primarily in the form of water-soluble alkali metal sulphites and bisulphites by treating the particles with a solution of sulfurous acid. During the treating process the water-insoluble alkali metal compounds in the alkali metal residues are converted into water-soluble alkali metal sulphites and bisulphites, which have been found to be catalytically active.

Abstract: Coal or similar liquefiable carbonaceous solids are converted into lower molecular weight liquids by contacting the feed solids with molecular hydrogen in the absence of externally added hydrocarbon liquids and in the presence of added hydrogen sulfide under liquefaction conditions in one or more liquefaction zones.