Abstract: A process is disclosed for making a biomass susceptible to depolymerization or liquefaction under mild conditions. The process comprises introducing into the biomass a material susceptible to the absorption of electro-magnetic radiation to form a radiation absorbent biomass. The radiation absorbent biomass is subjected to electro-magnetic radiation to form an activated biomass.

Abstract: Process for direct coal liquefaction of coal, including: (1) preparing a coal slurry from raw coal; (2) preheating the coal slurry, then feeding it into reaction system to undergo liquefaction reaction; (3) separating reaction products in a separator to form a liquid phase and a gas phase, wherein the liquid phase is fractionated in an atmospheric tower into a light oil fraction and a bottom product; (4) feeding the atmospheric tower bottom product to a vacuum tower to separate into distillate and vacuum residue; (5) mixing the light oil fraction and the distillate to form a mixture, then feeding the mixture to a suspended bed hydrotreating reactor with forced circulation for hydrogenation; (6) fractionating hydrogenation products into oil products and a hydrogen donor recycling solvent. The process can operate long periods, with higher reactor efficiency and utilization factor, increased liquid oil yield and can supply high-quality feedstock for further processing.

Abstract: The invention provides the activation, refining and stabilization of oil shale. The stabilization may be performed by recirculative extraction, the activation by electromagnetic irradiation, steam, or by an inorganic base, and the refining by ion beam irradiation. The thus processed oil shale may be used to adsorb organic and inorganic contaminants from a variety of materials include materials of vegetable origin.

Abstract: Process for the preparation of an aqueous tar suspoemulsion by mixing a mixture including (a) a viscous tar composition formed from a tar, from inorganic solids and, optionally, from water, (b) water (W), (c) a surface-active agent (SA) exhibiting an HLB of at least 10 and, optionally, (d) a thickening water-soluble polymer (TWP) with a molecular mass of greater than 10,000, the relative amounts of constituents (W), (SA) and, optionally, (TWP) being such that the viscosity of the (W)+(SA)+optional (TWP) mixture is preferably equal to or greater than the viscosity of the said tar, and then optional dilution of the mixture obtained with water or with an aqueous acidic solution. The process is particularly advantageous when applied to to the residues, containing sulphuric acid, resulting from the synthesis of white oils from petroleum fractions. The present invention further relates to a method for fluidizing acidic tars/sludges including contacting the tar/sludge with sulfuric acid and a surfactant.

Abstract: A sand/liquid separator provides for the conditioning of oil sands. Clean sand is separated from the ore and discharged for use as backfill. The sand/liquid separator machine includes horizontal shafts with paddles that act on a fluidized bed. The overall height of the machine is increased over prior art devices so the water volume is expanded. For a given residence time, more sand can be separated out than is otherwise possible. The water-to-sand ratio is an independent variable, water is recycled independent of the sand. The rate of water recycle depends only on the heat input needed and the clay content of the feed. The rate of water input is limited by the rise velocity needed to separate sand larger than forty-four micron from the water/liquid phase. This, in turn, determines the maximum oil sand feed rate based on the total clay in the feed at up to six percent, by weight, of clay in the middlings in the machine.

Abstract: A method for hydro-liquefying coal, the method comprising preheating a slurried mixture of a pulverized coal and a solvent, the preheated mixture being supplied to a plurality of reactors; separating a gaseous content from the products resulting from the reaction; dehydrating the gaseous content and removing a light oil content therefrom, thereby obtaining hydrogen-content gases; and recycling the hydrogen-content gases at least to the first reactor and supplying it to the bottom thereof so that the light oil content in the solvent is stripped.

Abstract: As-mined, naturally water-wet oil sand is mixed at the mine site with hot water and NaOH to produce a slurry containing entrained air. The slurry is pumped through a pipeline and is fed directly to a conventional gravity separation vessel. The pipeline is of sufficient length so that, in the course of being pumped therethrough, sufficient coalescence and aeration of bitumen occurs so that, when subsequently retained in the gravity separation vessel under quiescent conditions, a viable amount of the bitumen floats, forms froth, and is recovered.

Abstract: A system and process for educing hydrocarbons from shale. The system comprises a retort vessel which has an integral apparatus for mixing raw and recycle shale that embodies raw shale pulverizing and has an integral apparatus for finally pulverizing the raw shale particulates that have descended through a fluidized bed. The system further comprises: a burner which generates process heat; heat transfer apparatus which extracts heat for use in the process; and means for recovering such heat. The process involves recovery of significant amounts of process energy including: the recovery of heat from retort vapors; the recovery of heat from spent shale; recovery and utilization of the heat of combustion; and recycling of gases for the operation of mechanical pulverizing apparatus.

Abstract: In a process for producing distillates from coal by a first stage thermal liquefaction followed by a catalytic hydrogenation, liquefaction solvent is added at points spaced over the length of the thermal liquefaction heater.Coal may be co-processed with petroleum oil by adding pre-hydrogenated oil to the first stage or unhydrogenated oil to the second stage.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for the production of coke, asphalt and jet fuel m a feed of fossil fuels containing volatile carbon compounds therein is disclosed. The process includes the steps of pyrolyzing the feed in an entrained bed pyrolyzing means, separating the volatile pyrolysis products from the solid pyrolysis products removing at least one coke from the solid pyrolysis products, fractionating the volatile pyrolysis products to produce an overhead stream and a bottom stream which is useful as asphalt for road pavement, condensing the overhead stream to produce a condensed liquid fraction and a noncondensable, gaseous fraction, and removing water from the condensed liquid fraction to produce a jet fuel-containing product. The disclosed apparatus is useful for practicing the foregoing process. the process provides a useful method of mass producing and jet fuels from materials such as coal, oil shale and tar sands.

Abstract: Hydrocarbon liquids are recovered from oil shale and other solids containing organic material by heating the solids to a temperature below about 900.degree. F., preferably between about 550.degree. F. and about 900.degree. F., in the absence of an added liquid organic solvent and then contacting the heated solids with a liquid organic solvent in such a manner that the solids and solvent do not form a slurry and under conditions such that hydrocarbons are extracted from the heated solids into the organic solvent. The extracted hydrocarbons are then recovered from the solvent by fractionation. Normally, the solids will be heated by contacting them with a hot, monoxidizing gas, preferably an oxygen-free flue gas generated within the process.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the recovery of bitumen oils from oil shale. The method comprises crushing the oil shale to a predetermined particle size and mixing with an organic solvent to form a slurry. The slurry is then subjected to supercritical temperatures and pressures whereby the kerogen materials break down into bitumen oils which solubilize in the solvent. The liquid and solids are separated and the solid components are further treated under supercritical temperatures and pressures to yield further bitumen oils. The extracted bitumen oils are separated from solvent by fractionation, and upgraded by removing an asphaltenes residue. Off-gases and asphaltenes residue from the system are burned in a limestone fluidized bed combustor, which results in environmentally acceptable emissions and supplies process heat and power. The apparatus includes a high pressure autoclave-type vessel with an internal venturi draft tube, and a plurality of high pressure decantation vessels with internal lamellae thickeners.

Abstract: Hydrocarbon liquids are recovered from oil shale and other solids containing organic material by heating the solids to a temperature below about 900.degree. F., preferably between about 550.degree. F. and about 900.degree. F., in the absence of an added liquid organic solvent and then contacting the heated solids with a liquid organic solvent in such a manner that the solids and solvent do not form a slurry and under conditions such that hydrocarbons are extracted from the heated solids into the organic solvent. The extracted hydrocarbons are then recovered from the solvent by fractionation. Normally, the solids will be heated by contacting them with a hot, nonoxidizing gas, preferably an oxygen-free flue gas generated within the process.

Abstract: A process for recovery of organic oils and residues in association with inorganic solids by solvent extraction and for the recovery of solvent used for the extraction. The organic solvent extracted inorganic solids having remaining associated organic solvent is fluidized in a bed with fluidizing gas comprising superheated vapor of the organic solvent vaporizing and removing a substantial portion of the associated organic solvent. Then the solids are countercurrently contacted with a combustion gas stream at a lower temperature than the solids physically stripping a substantial portion of the residual solvent from the solids, the combustion gas stream being enhanced for combustion by comprising stripped organic solvent and by being heated.

Abstract: A shale oil retorting system and novel continuous feed means for retorting oil shale within a retort housing employs a tilted circular conveyor within the housing which allows for continuous feeding of crushed oil shale within the conveyor for subsequent immersion in a hot process oil bath and unloading from the housing. The retort housing is constructed of side body members arranged to provide primary refluxing action of flammable process oil vapors evolved during retorting to prevent explosion. Safety is further augmented by providing an overhead vapor outlet and a sufficient level of process oil in the bath to produce a slight overpressure in the free board region conducive to quickly exhausting shale oil vapor from the housing into an overhead condensing unit. The spent shale particles discharged from the housing are immediately quenched to recover process oil coating the particles and minimize generation of flammable vapors from the hot particles.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to improvements in processes and apparatus for effecting solvent extractions using liquefied gas or gases in the supercritical state as the solvents and specifically to continuous processes for carrying out such extractions at high pressures. Further, the present invention relates to an apparatus which is a long vertical cylinder of relatively small diameter, wherein the solvent gas and the material to be extracted are continuously circulated through the long vertical reactor.

Abstract: Oil shale is well mixed and efficiently, effectively, and economically retorted in a special gravity flow retorting process and system which utilizes novel arrangements of internal baffles in a static mixer.