Abstract: Provided is an ash-free coal production method that can produce an ash-free coal efficiently with a higher solvent recovery rate. The ash-free coal production method includes an extraction step of mixing coal with a solvent to give a slurry and heating the slurry to extract a solvent-soluble coal component; a separation step of separating a solution containing the coal component from the slurry containing the extracted coal component; and an ash-free coal obtaining step of separating and recovering the solvent from the separated solution to give an ash-free coal. The ash-free coal obtaining step includes a pressure-reducing substep of reducing a pressure to a level lower than the solvent vapor pressure to evaporatively separate the solvent from the solution to thereby give a solid ash-free coal; and a heating substep of heating the solid ash-free coal to evaporatively separate a residual solvent from the ash-free coal.

Abstract: Provided is a gravitational settling tank capable of detecting a boundary surface of a solids-enriched fluid. A pressure vessel 11 is provided with a multipoint temperature sensor 18 including two or more thermocouples 17 to measure the temperature of an internal fluid in the pressure vessel 11. Two or more temperature measuring junctions 17a of the thermocouples 17 are arranged in the pressure vessel 11 so as to be immersed in the internal fluid and positioned at different heights from one another. The boundary surface of the solids-enriched fluid is detected based on the temperature distribution of the internal fluid in the pressure vessel 11, where the temperature distribution is determined with the multipoint temperature sensor 18.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a high-quality reduced metal using an upgraded coal as a carbonaceous material to be incorporated. In the method, coal is first aged by heating in an organic solvent to produce upgraded coal for metallurgy having higher thermal plasticity than that of the coal. Then, a mixture of the upgraded coal for metallurgy and a metal oxide-containing raw material is agglomerated by an agglomerator, and the resultant agglomerates are reduced by heating in a furnace and then melted by further heating to produce a reduced melt. The reduced melt is cooled and solidified in the furnace to produce a reduced solid. The reduced solid is discharged to the outside of the furnace and slag is removed using a screen to recover a metal as a reduced metal.

Abstract: A gravitational settling tank including a pressure vessel which precipitates solid content contained in slurry in which coal and solvent are blended, and separates the solid-content concentrated liquid from the supernatant liquid, and a supply pipe which supplies the pressure vessel with the slurry. A main body part and a nozzle part which is connected on the downstream side of the main body part and extends horizontally are provided in the supply pipe. A plurality of holes are provided in the nozzle part. By virtue of this, agitation of the solid-content concentrated liquid which has settled in the bottom is inhibited.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a high-quality reduced metal using an upgraded coal as a carbonaceous material to be incorporated. In the method, coal is first aged by heating in an organic solvent to produce upgraded coal for metallurgy having higher thermal plasticity than that of the coal. Then, a mixture of the upgraded coal for metallurgy and a metal oxide-containing raw material is agglomerated by an agglomerator, and the resultant agglomerates are reduced by heating in a furnace and then melted by further heating to produce a reduced melt. The reduced melt is cooled and solidified in the furnace to produce a reduced solid. The reduced solid is discharged to the outside of the furnace and slag is removed using a screen to recover a metal as a reduced metal.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for upgrading low-rank coal unsuitable for production of a reduced metal by a conventional carbon composite method to produce an upgraded coal suitable for the carbon composite method. The prevent invention also provides a method for producing a high-quality reduced metal using the upgraded coal as a carbonaceous material to be incorporated. In these methods, coal is first aged by heating in an organic solvent to produce upgraded coal for metallurgy having higher thermal plasticity than that of the coal. Then, a mixture of the upgraded coal for metallurgy and a metal oxide-containing raw material is agglomerated by an agglomerator, and the resultant agglomerates are reduced by heating in a moving hearth furnace and then melted by further heating to produce a reduced melt. The reduced melt is cooled and solidified in the moving hearth furnace to produce a reduced solid, and then the reduced solid is discharged to the outside of the furnace.

Abstract: A method of producing ashless coal used in caking coal for coke for iron making includes a slurry preparation step (S1) of mixing a solvent with coal to prepare a slurry; an extraction step (S2) of extracting the slurry obtained in the slurry preparation step (S1) at a temperature in the range of 400° C. to 420° C. for 20 minutes or less, and then cooling the slurry to 370° C. or lower; a separation step (S3) of separating the slurry obtained in the extraction step (S2) into a liquid portion and a non-liquid portion; and an improved-coal-obtaining step (S4) of separating the solvent from the liquid portion separated in the separation step (S3) to obtain ashless coal which is improved coal.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for upgrading low-rank coal unsuitable for production of a reduced metal by a conventional carbon composite method to produce an upgraded coal suitable for the carbon composite method. The prevent invention also provides a method for producing a high-quality reduced metal using the upgraded coal as a carbonaceous material to be incorporated. In these methods, coal is first aged by heating in an organic solvent to produce upgraded coal for metallurgy having higher thermal plasticity than that of the coal. Then, a mixture of the upgraded coal for metallurgy and a metal oxide-containing raw material is agglomerated by an agglomerator, and the resultant agglomerates are reduced by heating in a moving hearth furnace and then melted by further heating to produce a reduced melt. The reduced melt is cooled and solidified in the moving hearth furnace to produce a reduced solid, and then the reduced solid is discharged to the outside of the furnace.