Abstract: Ground coal is dispersed in an aqueous electrolyte and is alternately oxidized anodically and reduced cathodically. The reaction gases and the liquid hydrocarbons obtained and other volatile organic compounds are processed and used in the customary manner. The reactive groups formed in the coal improve its cokeability, extractability and capacity for hydrogenation. In addition, the treated coal because of its good wettability, suspended in water or alcohol, is well suited as a liquid fuel or motor fuel.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell is disclosed for eliminating and/or recovering dissolved metals from waste liquors or winning dissolved metals from waste solutions having a low concentration of such metals. The cell has a three dimensional electrode with a geometrical bed depth that is increased from the electrolyte inlet to outlet so that the bed depth increases along the flow direction corresponding to the concentration decrease within the cell. Thus, the geometrical bed depth is essentially equal to the effective bed depth at each point within the electrode where the electrochemical conversion takes place.