Abstract: An elongated tube (preferably stainless steel) is maintained at a temperature of at least about 1000.degree. F. throughout its length. Coal or other carbonaceous feed material is moved through the tube at a uniform rate of speed in the substantial absence of air, with the feed material being constantly churned or turned as by a screw conveyor. The churning of the feed material and the diameter of the tube is such that the material is subjected to "shock" heating, whereby gases and vapors are violently released from the solid mass and are removed therefrom at a vacuum of from about two to about five inches of mercury, with said gases and vapors passing through the aforesaid churning mass. The residue is recovered and the gases and vapors are subsequently passed through conventional condensers and scrubbers to liquify the oil and separate the gases and the water.

Abstract: A process for forming a fuel-oil from coal. The coal is treated in a low temperature carbonisation retort to give coke, coal-gas and tar-oil. The coke is converted to water-gas which is then synthesised in a Fischer-Tropsch synthesiser to form fuel-oil. The tar-oil is hydrogenated in a hydro-treater by hydrogen produced from the coal-gas. Hydrogen is produced from coal-gas either in a thermal cracking chamber or by reforming the methane content to hydrogen and passing the resultant hydrogen/carbon monoxide mixture through a water-gas shift reactor and a carbon dioxide scrubber.

Abstract: A method of retorting oil shale which comprises the steps of passing the material in particulate form downwardly as a continuous vertical column of solid material successively through a preheating zone, a distillation zone, a combustion zone, and a residue cooling zone. An improved method of product oil recovery is disclosed whereby the vapor product is subjected to sequential treatment with cyclone separators and an absorption column, with a portion of the resulting noncondensible gases being recycled to the retort.

Abstract: Production of a low ash liquid or liquefiable fuel from coal is effected by solvent treatment and separation of the undissolved solids. The latter are removed by first agglomerating the non-settling finely divided solids, and then effecting separation of the agglomerates in a downwardly moving ebullated bed of agglomerates where the upflowing fluidizing liquid is a wash solvent which preferably is a mixture of precipitating solvent and coal liquefaction solvent.

Abstract: A solid, sulfur-containing carbonaceous feedstock, e.g. coal or other high carbon content solid, in a finely divided form is suspended in a hydrocarbon liquid along with a finely divided hydroconversion catalyst having a nominal particle size of less than about 10 microns. The resulting suspension and a hydrogen-containing gas are contacted at an elevated temperature and pressure and at a weight hourly space velocity of between 200 and 50,000 kg. of the suspension per kg. of catalyst per hour. The resulting product is continuously withdrawn from the contact zone and normally gaseous materials are separated. A liquid product having a substantially reduced sulfur content and containing the finely divided catalyst is recovered as desulfurized product.

Abstract: Oil shale, crushed to about 70 mesh size (300 microns or less), is slurried with a recycle stream from the processing of the reactor effluent. The slurry is then heated and charged, along with hydrogen, to an upflow, fluidized bed reactor. The kerogen in the shale undergoes hydroretorting, giving a C.sub.1 -650.degree. F. range of products. The spent shale is removed with and separated from the reactor overhead effluent.

Abstract: Oil-soluble nickel, cobalt, or copper-containing additives are blended with a hydrocarbon feedstock containing arsenic, and the resulting solution is heated to at least 300.degree. F to convert a large proportion of the arsenic to forms removable by conventional filtration or desalting techniques. Preferably, the feedstock-additive solution is heated to at least 500.degree. F and is then distilled so as to produce one or more distillate fractions consisting of components that boil at atmospheric pressure at temperatures in the range 400.degree.-900.degree. F; such distillate fractions will contain arsenic in a concentration less that 20% of that of the feedstock.

Abstract: Coal is liquefied by treatment with a hydrogen-donor solvent and gaseous hydrogen, a heavy bottoms product boiling primarily in excess of about 1000.degree. F. is recovered, and this bottoms product is then pyrolyzed with fresh coal to produce surprisingly high yields of liquid product. The coke formed during the pyrolysis step may be gasified to generate hydrogen for use in the liquefaction operation and additional gas which can be employed as a fuel or upgraded for other uses.

Abstract: A re-refining process is described by which high-quality finished lubricating oils are prepared from used waste lubricating and crankcase oils. The used oils are stripped of water and low-boiling contaminants by vacuum distillation and then dissolved in a solvent of 1-butanol, 2-propanol and methylethyl ketone, which precipitates a sludge containing most of the solid and liquid contaminants, unspent additives, and oxidation products present in the used oil. After separating the purified oil-solvent mixture from the sludge and recovering the solvent for recycling, the purified oil is preferably fractional vacuum-distilled, forming lubricating oil distillate fractions which are then decolorized and deodorized to prepare blending stocks. The blending stocks are blended to obtain a lubricating oil base of appropriate viscosity before being mixed with an appropriate additive package to form the finished lubricating oil product.

Abstract: A method for purifying and reclaiming used lubricating oils containing additives such as detergents, antioxidants, corrosion inhibitors, extreme pressure agents and the like and other solid and liquid contaminants by preferably first vacuum distilling the used oil to remove water and low-boiling contaminants, and treating the dried oil with a solvent mixture of butanol, isopropanol and methylethyl ketone which causes the separation of a layer of sludge containing contaminants, unspent additives and oxidation products. After solvent recovery, the desludged oil is then subjected to conventional lubricating oil refining steps such as distillation followed by decolorization and deodorization.

Abstract: An effective method of reclaiming or re-refining modern-day, additive-supplemented waste oils such as those derived from gasoline or diesel engine crankcases is provided which achieves substantial oil purification at relatively low cost and without creation of waste disposal problems common to conventional methods such as those involving clay and acid treatment. The method hereof includes the steps of dehydrating and fractionating the waste oil to remove water and the light ends, followed by vacuum distillation to give various grades of oil and solvent treatment with a solvent such as nitrobenzene to remove substantially all undesirable impurities from the oil. Reclaimed oil is thereafter recovered by steam stripping techniques which also allows collection and reuse of the solvent, in order to materially reduce operational costs.

Abstract: Catalysts are disclosed for the hydrotreatment of hydrocarbons, and particularly for reforming, which contain no platinum and which consist of:A refractory-mineral carrier (alumina).0.05 to 5 wt. % of at least one first metal from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, and nickel.At least one second metal from the group consisting of tin (0.01 to 5%), lead (0.01 to 10%), and germanium (0.01 to 4%).Possibly from 0.01 to 0.5% of sulfur.Processes for preparation of these catalysts, by impregnation, and for their use are disclosed. It is preferable to deposit the metal (or the metals) from the tin-germanium-lead group before the metal or metals from the iron-cobalt-nickel group are deposited.

Abstract: Tar sand is blended in a melt tank with oil to form a slurry which is separated into two streams one containing coarse sand, the other fine sand. The stream containing fine sand is then introduced into a coker yielding coke and a hydrocarbon vapor stream, the latter is introduced into the bottom section of a fractionator. The stream containing coarse sand is filtered. The sand is stripped with kerosine which is then fed to the fractionator together with the filtrate at intermediate points. The fractionation produces gas, gasoline, kerosine and various cuts of oil including heavy bottoms which are recycled to the coker and heavy gas oil which can be recycled to the melt tank.

Abstract: A carbonaceous material is pyrolyzed in the presence of a particulate source of heat obtained by the partial oxidation of a carbon containing solid residue of the carbonaceous material. The heat obtained from the oxidation of the carbon containing solid residue is maximized by preheating the carbon containing solid residue with a hot gas stream obtained by oxidizing the gaseous combustion products of the carbon containing solid residue.

Abstract: A tar sands slurry containing sand particles of varying sizes dispersed therein is passed into a classifier wherein it is subdivided into at least two streams, each stream containing either coarse or fine solids. The stream containing coarse solids is directed to a separate solids removal zone where the solids are removed. The effluent from the solids removal zone and the fine solid containing stream are then fed to a coking zone.

Abstract: An improved coal deashing process wherein coal is mixed with a first dissolving solvent, heated, solubilized and flashed to provide a prepared mixture. The flashing is effected at a temperature below about 650.degree. F. to increase the amount of the first dissolving solvent in the prepared mixture. The prepared mixture then is mixed with a second dissolving solvent to produce a feed mixture which is subjected to two or more successive phase separations. Insoluble coal products present are separated from the feed mixture in a first separation zone and the soluble coal products are recovered from the first and the second dissolving solvents in a second separation zone. The second dissolving solvent is recovered from the first and the second heavy fractions and the second light fraction for recycling to aid in producing the feed mixture. The first dissolving solvent is recovered from the first and second flash zones.

Abstract: An improved system for processing coal wherein a feed mixture (comprising a dissolving solvent, insoluble coal products and soluble coal products) is separated in a first separation zone, provided with a coalescing section, into a first heavy fraction and a first light fraction (comprising soluble coal products, the dissolving solvent and some insoluble coal products), and a portion of the insoluble coal products is separated from the first light fraction by contacting at least the first light fraction with the coalescing section. Such contacting reduces the amount of insoluble coal products in the first light fraction withdrawn from the first separation zone.

Abstract: A method of removing a contaminant, such as arsenic or selenium, from a synthetic hydrocarbonaceous fluid characterized by contacting the hydrocarbonaceous fluid with a plurality of particles of a specially treated contaminant-removing material that will remove the contaminant, under a reducing atmosphere, such as hydrogen, at an elevated temperature. Also disclosed are methods of preparing the contaminant-removing material, which preferably comprises a high surface area carrier material having one or both of a high pore volume of at least 0.8 cubic centimeters per gram with a major portion of the pore volume having a mean effective pore radius greater than 100 Angstroms (.degree. A) and feeder pores having radii greater than 1,000.degree. A for fluid flow therethrough, and carrying a contaminant-removing (active) material at least adjacent the pores.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process and apparatus for reducing the particulate content in a gaseous stream containing entrained particulate matter and condensable hydrocarbons wherein said stream is obtained from the retorting of hydrocarbon-containing solids, particularly from retorted shale. A gaseous effluent containing condensable hydrocarbons and entrained solid particulate matter is produced during the retorting of hydrocarbon-containing solids and is discharged from a retorting vessel through a conduit containing a rotating elongate spiral-shaped element on which a portion of the particulate matter and condensable hydrocarbons form a semi-solid mass. The rotating spiral collects and conveys the semi-solid mass back into the retorting vessel for further processing thereby reducing the solid particulate content of the condensable hydrocarbon product.

Abstract: A method is provided for retorting oil shale whereby full utilization of the heat energy available in the retorted shale and maximum desulfurization of the flue gas released to the atmosphere are simultaneously effected. Basically, the process comprises passing a crushed shale feed upwardly through preheating and retorting zones in a retort vessel wherein eduction of shale oil and product gases is achieved by direct heat exchange with a preheated, recycled portion of said product gases passed countercurrently to the shale feed, and then passing the retorted shale downwardly through combustion and cooling zones. Complete combustion of coke on the retorted shale in the combustion zone not only results in full utilization of the potential heat energy stored within the retorted shale but also in the production of gaseous sulfur components (mostly SO.sub.2) that chemically react with the alkaline components of the shale. Concurrent flow of gas and retorted shale in the combustion zone at temperatures between 900.