Abstract: The invention relates to a process for reducing the level of radioactivity of a stream of light hydrocarbons by passing the stream through sulfided solid particles.

Abstract: A process for the recovery of bituminous tar like materials from tar sands containing the same; the process includes mixing the tar sands with water, mildly heating the same in the presence of an alkali metal bicarbonate, gently mixing the mixture and while the mixture is warm, removing the recovered bituminous materials therefrom.

Abstract: An improved coal deashing process wherein soluble dissolved coal present in the ash concentrate product stream from a critical solvent deashing process can be separated and recovered from the ash concentrate by at least two alternate processing systems.In one such system, the ash concentrate (containing dissolved and undissolved coal) is admixed with a suitable organic solubilizing solvent to obtain partial redissolution, at elevated temperature and at pressures of atmospheric and above, and thereafter subjecting said mixture to a separation treatment. The liquid product thus separated, containing substantially all of the dissolved coal and only a minor amount of mineral ash, thereafter is recycled to the initial coal dissolution step to thereby provide a portion of the initial solvent necessary for preparation of the coal feed.

Abstract: An improved coal deashing process wherein coal is mixed with a first dissolving solvent, solubilized and flashed to provide a prepared mixture, and the prepared mixture is mixed with a second dissolving solvent to produce a feed mixture. The insoluble coal products produced are separated from the feed mixture as a first heavy fraction in a first separation zone and the soluble coal products are recovered as a second heavy fraction from a second separation zone. The second dissolving solvent is recovered from the first heavy fraction and the second heavy fraction for recycling to aid in the production of the feed mixture. The first dissolving solvent is recovered from the first and the second heavy fractions and recycled to aid in solubilization of the coal.

Abstract: A process for removing polonium from hydrocarbons which process comprises contacting fluid polonium containing hydrocarbons with an ion exchange resin, having a dry surface area of at least 1 m.sup.2 /g and containing exchange groups selected from the group consisting of acidic and strongly basic exchange groups.The ion exchange resins are preferably macroreticular resins. Suitable hydrocarbons for treatment are natural gas condensates.

Abstract: A retorting process for recovery of hydrocarbonaceous fluids from subdivided solid materials, specifically oil shale, is described wherein the subdivided solid material is preheated, retorted, and subjected to heat recovery after retorting, heat transfer being effected by contacting the subdivided solid material as a dilute-phase fluidized bed in a separate preheating zone with a first particulate heat carrier, and with a second particulate heat carrier in a dense fluidized bed in a retorting zone. Separate particulate heat carriers are employed in such manner that one mass of heat carrier is utilized for preheating the solid material and heat recovery, and a second mass of heat carrier is utilized for retorting of the subdivided preheated solid material.

Abstract: Tar sands are put into finely divided form, preferably by pressing them into sheets and flaking the sheets. The flakes are mixed with a solvent for the contained oils for a time sufficient to extract the oils. The resulting slurry is introduced beneath the surface of a body of water and the solids allowed to settle, while the solvent containing the oil rises to the top to form a liquid phase above the surface of the body of water. The wet solids and the oil-containing solvent are separately removed. After the oil is recovered from the solvent, as by fractional distillation, the solvent is recycled in the process, which is preferably carried on as a continuous operation.

Abstract: Hydrocarbons are converted by contacting them at hydrocarbon conversion conditions with an acidic multimetallic catalytic composite comprising a combination of catalytically effective amounts of a platinum group component, a nickel component, a cobalt component, and a halogen component with a porous carrier material. A preferred modifying component for the disclosed catalytic composite is a Group IVA metallic component. The platinum gold, nickel, cobalt and halogen components are present in the multimetallic catalyst in amounts, respectively, calculated on an elemental basis, corresponding to about 0.01 to about 2 wt. % platinum group metal, about 0.01 to about 2.5 wt. % nickel, about 0.05 to about 5 wt. % cobalt, and about 0.1 to about 3.5 wt. % halogen.

Abstract: A continuous process recovers values from a solid carbonaceous material by directly contacting a stream containing volatilized hydrocarbons resulting from the pyrolysis of the solid carbonaceous material with incoming feed carbonaceous material to quench the volatilized hydrocarbons, then pyrolyzing the carbonaceous material to yield a product stream containing volatilized hydrocarbons and a particulate residue.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for (1) reducing agglomerated masses of tar sand and (2) recovering as a bituminous product the bituminous matrix material therefrom. The apparatus includes a vessel which is divided into an attrition zone enclosed by a screen member, a sand separation zone and a product recovery zone. The vessel accommodates liquid which is, advantageously, a solvent into which the agglomerated masses of tar sands are introduced. The liquid is impelled vigorously upwardly into the attrition zone to create a high shear environment by which the tar sand masses are reduced by attrition into sand particles coated with the bituminous matrix material of the tar sand. The separated grains of sand are also stripped of the bituminous product by the high shear environment. The cleansed sand passes through the screen member surrounding the attrition zone into the sand separation zone. The liquid and the bituminous product removed from the sand passes to the product recovery zone.

Abstract: A relatively low temperature process for separating and recovering bitumen from natural tar sands wherein granular sulfur and water are mixed with the tar sand, in the presence of air, to form a sulfur-bitumen agglomerate which floats on the water, with relatively bitumen-free sand sinking to the bottom. The agglomerate may be skimmed off the surface of the water and bitumen recovered therefrom by heating the agglomerate to melt the sulfur and then separating the molten sulfur from the hot bitumen. It has unexpectedly been discovered that a yield of over 80% of bitumen can be recovered from the tar sands by the use of sulfur in the process, compared to only about 20% if sulfur is not present.

Abstract: Liquefaction of coal is effected by extraction of coal by a distillable solvent in the presence of hydrogen under conditions selected to produce a coal liquefaction product, the major portion of which is distillable. The effluent slurry product is vacuum distilled to recover the distillables including the solvent. The bottoms fraction is subjected to solvent treatment or fractionation to selectively recover the lower molecular weight portion, which portion is hydrogenated to yield distillate fuels. The remainder of the bottoms fraction is used as feed to a gasifier to make a hydrogen-rich gas or a methane-rich gas as desired.

Abstract: A coal liquefaction chargestock is first treated with a hydrogen sulfide-containing gas and thereafter subjected to coal liquefaction conditions.

Abstract: Solids are separated from a tar sands extract by gravity settling or centrifugation in the presence of a liquid promoter which promotes and enhances the separation of the solid material. The liquid promoter has a characterization factor of at least 9.75, a 5 volume percent distillation temperature of at least 250.degree. F and a 95 volume percent distillation temperature of at least 350.degree. F and no greater than 750.degree. F. As a result, liquid product is obtained without the necessity of preliminary coking of the entire extract.

Abstract: Raw tar sand is treated in a fluidized bed reactor means wherein the raw tar sands are fed into an area below the top of the bed. The bitumen is converted in the process in a reducing atmosphere including steam to produce hot coked sand and hot off-gases. Off-gases from the reactor means pass through a heat exchanger means to preheat fresh (raw) tar sand. The cooled off-gases are separated to recover raw oil, while at least a portion of the separated gases are recycled to the reactor means, to retrieve and retain heat in the system by passing upwardly through hot spent sand. Steam and oxygen are injected into the lower area of the fluid bed in an area above the spent sand zone to burn off coked sand so as to produce heat for the cracking zone.

Abstract: A process is provided for removing unfilterable suspended solids from an oil wherein these solids are agglomerated to separable conglomerated solids by adding to the oil an agglomerating agent comprising a mixture of acetone and 2-butanone.

Abstract: Hydrocarbonaceous materials such as petroleum residuums, coal, lignite or the like are introduced into a molten salt bath maintained in a reaction zone at elevated temperature and pressure. Hydrogen also is introduced into the reaction zone in an amount sufficient to provide a pressure in the reaction zone within the range of from about 30 to 400 atmospheres. The hydrocarbonaceous material is reacted for a time sufficient to produce cracked products including a major amount of liquid and a minor amount of gaseous and solid products of enriched hydrogen content. The molten salt bath comprises at least one alkali metal hydroxide which preferably is sodium hydroxide. Substantially all of the sulfur and ash constituents of the hydrocarbonaceous material are retained in the molten salt. When the hydrocarbonaceous material is a normally solid material such as coal, it advantageously is crushed and slurried in an organic hydrogen donor solvent prior to its introduction into the molten salt bath.

Abstract: The production of liquid hydrocarbons from coal is significantly enhanced by alkylating or acylating the coal prior to subjecting the coal to liquefaction conditions. The introduction of aliphatic hydrocarbon radicals or acyl radicals, including carbon monoxide, into the coal structure is believed to permit more of the coal to undergo liquefaction at suitable liquefaction conditions. The alkylation or acylation reactions can be conducted in the presence or absence of added or extraneous catalysts.

Abstract: An improved coal processing system wherein a feed mixture (including coal, dissolving solvent, insoluble coal products and soluble coal products) at a first temperature level is separated in a first separation zone into a heavy fraction including the insoluble coal products and a light fraction and, thereafter, the heavy fraction is withdrawn from the first separation zone and heated to a second temperature level higher than the first temperature level and in which the second temperature level is sufficiently high to produce a heavy fraction that is flowable.

Abstract: An improved coal processing system wherein relatively small droplets of a feed mixture (including both soluble and insoluble coal products) are dispersed in a first separation zone and contacted, countercurrently with a dissolving solvent to form a heavy fraction containing the insoluble coal products and a separate light fraction containing the soluble coal products.