Abstract: A pressure container forms a shaft gasifier for receiving coarse coal in the form of a coal bed. A burner extends through the pressure container into a chamber therein and produces at least one primary gas jet directed against the coal bed, thereby gasifying the coal and generating a product gas and forming liquid slag. The liquid slag collects in a slag bath tank having an overflow weir over which the collected slag flows and falls freely toward a cooling water bath beneath the chamber. A water jet nozzle directs at least one water jet against the liquid slag as it falls freely between the weir and the cooling water bath. This atomizes the liquid slag, thereby cooling the slag and generating steam. At least a part of the steam is supplied as process steam to the coarse coal.

Abstract: Carbonaceous material is gasified in a first pyrolysis zone substantially in an absence of free oxygen by heating with a solid heating media. The carbonaceous material is conducted through the first pyrolysis zone in turbulent flow to provide for the rapid transfer of heat to effect the gasification.Gaseous products are recovered while char products are introduced into a second pyrolysis zone for additional gasification. The second pyrolysis zone is maintained substantially free of free oxygen. Gasification in the second pyrolysis zone is effected by the transfer of heat from a heating media to the char products produced in the first pyrolysis zone.Gaseous products from the second pyrolysis zone are recovered.The char products from the second pyrolysis zone can be heated to a temperature sufficient for use as a solid heating media.The gaseous product from the first pyrolysis zone, after separation from the char product, can be cooled to a lower temperature to condense a liquid product therefrom.

Abstract: Conversion of raw coal to distillate liquid and gaseous hydrocarbon products by solvent liquefaction in the presence of molecular hydrogen employing recycle of mineral residue is commonly performed at a higher thermal efficiency than conversion of coal to pipeline gas in a gasification process employing partial oxidation and methanation reactions. The prior art has disclosed a combination coal liquefaction-gasification plant employing recycle of mineral residue to the liquefaction zone wherein all the normally solid dissolved coal not converted to liquid or gaseous products in the liquefaction zone is passed to a gasification zone for conversion to hydrogen. In the prior art plant the amount of normally solid dissolved coal passed to the gasification zone is just sufficient to enable the gasification zone to produce the entire process hydrogen requirement.

Abstract: A Kraft pulping process by which spent pulping liquor is burned in a recovery furnace 12 to reduce inactive alkali sulfates therein to active alkali sulfides while producing molten smelt that when added to water forms green liquor and residual dregs bearing catalytic iron. The dregs are separated from the green liquor and divided into first and second portions. The first portion of the dregs is discarded while the second portion of dregs required to maintain a concentration of iron in the smelt at from 0.05% to 5% is recirculated back to the furnace to provide optimum catalytic reduction of alkali sulfates to alkali sulfides. A quantity of alkali metal compounds is added at 24 to the pulping liquor in line 10 to serve as a temperature depressor that, together with the co-addition of said dregs, lowers the temperature of the molten smelt in furnace 12 from approximately 800.degree. C. to a more favorable temperature of about 650.degree. C.

Abstract: Method for gasifying cellulosic material comprises feeding cellulosic material into the uphill end of an inclined rotary kiln; transporting a bed of cellulosic material through the kiln and continuously tumbling the bed; withdrawing fuel gas from the uphill end of the kiln so it flows countercurrent to the bed and removes moisture in the drying zone and thermally decompose volatiles in the devolatilization zone; admitting air overbed in the devolatilization zone and only underbed in the gasifying zone; and controlling the mass flow rate of air into the devolatilization and gasifying zones respectively as predetermined percentages of that rate of which is stoichiometric to the cellulosic material fed into the kiln to thereby limit temperature rise, prevent agglomeration and minimize entrainment of solid particles.

Abstract: A carbonaceous feed material, a potassium compound having a relatively poor catalytic activity as compared to that of potassium carbonate, and a sodium or lithium salt are introduced into a gasification reactor. The carbonaceous material is then gasified in the presence of the added potassium and sodium or lithium constituents. The added sodium or lithium salt apparently activates the relatively noncatalytic potassium compound thereby producing a substantial catalytic effect on the gasification reactions. In general, activation of the noncatalytic potassium compound will take place when the sodium or lithium compound introduced into the reactor is either a salt of a weak acid or a salt of a strong acid that is converted to a sodium or lithium salt of a weak acid in the reactor at gasification conditions.

Abstract: Low BTU feed gas formed by gasification of carbonaceous materials with air is converted to high BTU gas by partial carbon monoxide separation and by using the reducing characteristic of the remaining feed gas in the iron reduction unit of a standard iron-steam process for manufacturing hydrogen. The hydrogen manufacturing stage also removes nitrogen which is a primary cause of low heat value in upgraded gases. The separated CO and the manufactured H.sub.2 are converted to a high quality methane. In the process, other undesirable impurities and diluents like hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide may be removed first.

Abstract: An apparatus for the preparation of a combustible gas mixture from solid or liquid fuels, consists of a housing, which comprises at least one rotatably disposed, conical basket, a fuel inlet, an inlet for a gasification fluid, an ash outlet and an outlet for the produced combustible gas mixture.The fuel to be gasified is introduced into the inlet and the apparatus is so operated that a number of revolutions of the basket(s) is maintained such, that the fuel is pressed against said basket which also functions as a supporting grate.

Abstract: Waste paper is chemically and mechanically treated to pulp it into a stock. The waste paper is tumbled, without mechanical beating and without rotary means likely to become fouled by foreign material mixed with the paper. A chemical pulping liquid is mixed with the paper as it is being tumbled. The resulting tumbled, pulped waste paper is delivered to a reaction tower where it is further chemically pulped. The waste paper is removed from the bottom of the reaction tower. Various embodiments of paper tumbling devices are disclosed including a rotating drum, stepped conveyor belts, stepped rollers, a vibratory conveyor and a tumbling tower with baffle plates along its length. The reaction tower has an adjustable sized outlet opening at its bottom. An appropriate conveyor is insertable through the outlet opening of the reaction tower for extracting pulped paper stock.

Abstract: An improvement in the fixed-bed pressure gasification of coal is described. The improvement includes removing at least a portion of the hydrocarbon (e.g., tar) from the raw gaseous fuel produced in the gasification process and apparatus for introducing the removed hydrocarbon directly into the interior of the coal bed below the devolatilization zone and at or above the maximum-temperature location in the bed.

Abstract: This invention relates to a continuous process for separating the soot from the aqueous suspensions containing soot, obtained in the preparation of a synthesis gas, by intimately contacting the aqueous suspension with at least a part of the liquid hydrocarbonaceous material feeding a synthesis gas generator and by recycling into said gas generator the suspension of soot in the liquid hydrocarbonaceous material after separation of a clarified water phase by decantation.

Abstract: In a device for the treatment of synthesis gas produced by coal gasification, a vertically extending shell is connected to a coal gasification reactor so that the interior of the shell is in direct communication with the interior of the reactor. The interior surface of the shell is lined with upwardly extending heat exchange tubes. Additional heat exchange tubes in combination with the tubes lining the shell form a plurality of upwardly extending chambers projecting radially inwardly from and spaced angularly apart about the tube lining. Tubes coextensive with the heat exchanger tubes forming the lining, are located within the chamber for conveying a cleaning fluid. The tubes are arranged to direct the cleaning fluid approximately tangentially of the heat exchanger tubes lining the shell for cleaning the exterior surfaces of such tubes.

Abstract: High heat recovery and minimized oxygen requirement for oxidation of sulfur compounds in black liquor is obtained by integrating the oxidation into the multiple effect evaporation system of the pulp mill recovery sequence. The oxidation step is carried out at an intermediate stage in the multiple effect concentration of weak black liquor in counterflow to the external heat input, and the thus oxidized liquor is then further concentrated by flow through the remaining effects of the system co-currently with the direction of heat flow.

Abstract: A process for gasifying coal and other carbonacaeous matter is disclosed which produces fuel gas containing low concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. In this process the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons released by the coal during devolatilization and formed during pyrolysis of volatile matter are decomposed thermally in the presence of hydrogen, at a sufficiently high partial pressure (obtained by increasing the total pressure in the gasifier) to prevent polymerization of free radicals formed during pyrolysis. A relationship between the temperature, the gas residence time in the gasification reactor, the hydrogen partial pressure (i.e., total pressure in the gasifier), and the coal feed conditions are specified to achieve "clean" coal gasification.

Abstract: In a coal gasification system using hot recycled inert heat transfer medium solids, before the solids are heated and recycled back to a gasification reactor, the solids are separated from ash and unreacted char. The unreacted char is thereafter burned producing a hot flue gas. The hot flue gas and separated inert heat transfer solids are thereafter mixed to reheat the solids. Two alternate forms of multiple bed solids heating arrangements are described. One uses countercurrent slowly moving beds. The other uses countercurrent fluidized beds. The slow moving bed arrangement is preferred.

Abstract: Waste newsprint is defibered in an aqueous bath to which is added a deinking agent. The resulting slurry or pulp is rinsed, drained and formed into paper sheets. The deinking agent is a C.sub.14 to C.sub.20 alpha olefin sulfonate or a mixture of C.sub.18 alpha olefin sulfonate and a non-ionic detergent, depending upon the conditions of the deinking bath.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for controlling the degree of causticization of white liquor in its preparation from green liquor by the addition of calcium oxide, which comprises determining the sodium carbonate concentration of green liquor fed to the causticization; determining the sodium carbonate concentration of white liquor resulting from the causticization; and controlling the degree of causticization within a predetermined range while taking both sodium carbonate concentrations into account, so as to maintain the degree of causticization of the white liquor within the range despite variations in sodium carbonate concentration of the green liquor and variations in calcium oxide content of the calcium oxide added for causticization.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing gaseous or liquid fuels or hydrocarbons from solid mineral sources and, more particularly, to a process for producing solid compounds, hereinafter designated fuel precursors, capable of releasing or generating flammable gases or liquids by chemical and/or physical conversion phenomena and to the process and methods to accomplish said fuel generation. The fuel precursors consist primarily of carbides formed from two or more metallic elements combined with carbon. The precursors additionally may contain minor amounts of free metal, unreacted carbon or other impurities.

Abstract: A process for the gasification of solid carbon comprising heating under suitable conditions a feed comprising finely divided particles formed by admixing finely divided particles of solid carbon with a slurry of zinc nitrate, removing enough of the liquid of said slurry to give a solid product, calcining said solid product at a temperature no greater than about 550.degree. C. to convert a substantial portion of the zinc material to zinc oxide, and then comminuting the calcined material to the desired particle size.

Abstract: Apparatus for purification of synthesis gas produced by coal gasification is provided with a vertical gas distribution chamber which is internally pressurized and within which the synthesis gas leaving the reactor is cooled. The chamber is formed with a gas take-off line which opens into the gas distribution chamber and extends therefrom at an angle, the gas take-off line leading to a serially connected waste heat boiler. A coolant bath is contained in a lower portion of the gas distribution chamber and a heat exchanger is formed in this lower portion by tube coils which are arranged in the wall of the distribution chamber defining the lower portion.