Abstract: A combination process disclosed utilizes a thermal (pyrolysis) operation (12) and solvent extraction operation (11) that operate simultaneously on an infeed of crushed tar sand (13). In a heat recovery operation (15) the solvent extraction operation receives waste heat from hot spent sand from the thermal operation to increase operating efficiency of the process. Makeup solvent is taken from the oil product derived from the extraction operation and recycled to be used in the solvent extraction operation. In a blending operation (16) the sand from both thermal and solvent extraction operations are blended in a sand mixer (34) to improve the quality of the sand discharged and the oil products from both operations are blended by a product mixer (31) to increase the viscosity of the final oil product.

Abstract: Finely divided, sulfur bearing carbonaceous materials are carried by hydrogen in counter-current flow at elevated temperatures to the flow of relatively large, metal oxide, hydrogen sulfide accepting pellets. The sulfur contained in the carbonaceous material reacts with the carrier hydrogen to form hydrogen sulfide which, in turn, reacts with the metal oxide to form the corresponding metal sulfide and water. The water and unreacted carrier hydrogen are then separated from the desulfurized carbonaceous material and following separation of water from the residual hydrogen, the hydrogen is recycled with make up hydrogen at elevated pressures to the desulfurization zone. The formed metal sulfide pellets are removed from the base of the desulfurization zone and oxidized back to the oxide state for recycle back to the opposed end of the desulfurization zone.

Abstract: A method for mixing a stream of particulate carbonaceous material with another stream of particulate material in a reaction zone maintained substantially free of free oxygen, which method is especially useful for mixing a stream of particulate agglomerative carbonaceous material with a stream of particulate heat-supplying material to produce valuable gaseous, liquid and solid products. This invention discloses a number of apparatuses useful for mixing streams of particulate material in a reactor maintained substantially free of free oxygen.