Abstract: Use of chemical pretreatment agents on the subsequent enzymatic conversion of coal is described. As an example, fungal manganese peroxidase (MnP) produced by the agaric white-rot fungus Bjerkandera adusta, where the enzyme MnP has little effect on the untreated coal controls, was investigated. The nature of pretreatment agents and their applied concentrations were found to have significant impact on subsequent enzymatic conversion of coal. Four agents were investigated: HNO3, catalyzed H2O2, KMnO4, and NaOH. Hydrogen peroxide was found to generate the greatest quantity of total organic carbon from the coal samples employed. Combined chemical and enzymatic treatment of coal is appropriate for enhanced depolymerisation of coal and coal-derived constituents and results in chemically heterogeneous and complex liquefaction products like humic and fulvic acids, which will have important ramifications in the generation of liquid and gaseous fuels from coals as nonpetroleum-derived fuel alternatives.

Abstract: The present invention includes a gasifier for gasifying fuels having a container with a top, sidewalls and a bottom for facilitating the gasifying process. One or more open vertical shafts extend downward inside the container for allowing a downdraft or updraft of air and fuel for the gasifying process. A rotating bed is preferably included inside the container and below the one or more shafts for receiving the fuel. The bed rotates essentially perpendicular to the shaft to facilitate even heating and gasifying of the fuel. The bed is further movable relative to the vertical shaft in order to increase or decrease the volume of fuel flow to the fuel.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a pharmaceutical composition having abuse deterrent properties and thereby prevent the abuse of a pharmacologically active component by an abuser (abuse through snorting, abuse through injection, or abuse through snorting or injection of a temporarily extracted drug). The present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition having abuse deterrent properties that possesses both a physical barrier and a chemical barrier to being abused by an abuser, a method for producing the same and a method for using the same.

Abstract: The present invention is provided with: a first processing device main body (111) that processes carbonized coal (1) by means of processing gas (103) of which the oxygen concentration has been adjusted by blowers (113,115); a second processing device main body (121) that processes primary processed carbonized coal (2a), which results from being processed at the first processing device main body, by means of air (102) fed by a blower (122); a second-processing-gas state detection means that detects the state of the air used within the second processing device main body; and a control device (130) that, on the basis of information from the second-processing—gas state detection means, controls the blowers (113,115) in a manner so as to adjust the oxygen concentration in the processing gas when the state of the air has diverged from a predetermined state.

Abstract: A composition for inhibiting oxidation includes an anionic, hydrophilic, water soluble polymer, an anionic surfactant, and water.

Abstract: A process, system and apparatus is provided for passivating carbonaceous material against spontaneous combustion. The process involves drying the carbonaceous material in a low oxygen environment and pre-conditioning the carbonaceous material by contacting it with volatile matter contained in a countercurrent gas stream. The volatile matter coats the particles of dried carbonaceous material and plugs the micropores of the dried carbonaceous material, thereby passivating it against adsorption of water and oxygen, and thus spontaneous combustion. The pre-conditioned dried material then undergoes devolatilisation at temperatures at which volatile matter is evolved. The evolved volatile matter mixes with the countercurrent gas stream and is used to pre-condition dried carbonaceous material located upstream.

Abstract: The present invention discloses methods to reduce dusting in bulk materials, such as coal. The method includes mixing with the bulk material either a fraction of the bulk material having an electrostatic charge opposite that of the remainder of the bulk material or a heterologous charge control agent having an electrostatic charge opposite that of the bulk material. The attractive forces between the opposite electrostatic charges agglomerate dust particles to larger particles that quickly settle to control dusting. Also disclosed are materials produced by the methods described above.

Abstract: A method and composition are disclosed to reduce the oxidative deterioration of bulk materials. Preferred embodiments of bulk materials include solid fuel materials, such as coal, and bulk food products. The method includes sizing a bulk material so that it has a porosity of 40% or less. This relatively low porosity reduces the surface area of the bulk material available to the ambient environment for oxidation. The method of sizing the bulk material may be combined with the step of contacting the bulk material with an inert gas or a heat transfer medium.

Abstract: This invention is a process for the passivation or deactivation with resp to oxygen of a carbonaceous material by the exposure of the carbonaceous material to an oxygenated gas in which the oxygenated gas pressure is increased from a first pressure to a second pressure and then the pressure is changed to a third pressure. Preferably a cyclic process which comprises exposing the carbonaceous material to the gas at low pressure and increasing the pressure to a second higher pressure and then returning the pressure to a lower pressure is used. The cycle is repeated at least twice wherein the higher pressure may be increased after a selected number of cycles.

Abstract: A process for reducing the spontaneous combustion tendencies of thermally beneficiated low rank coals employing heat, air or an oxygen containing gas followed by an optional moisture addition. Specific reaction conditions are supplied along with knowledge of equipment types that may be employed on a commercial scale to complete the process.

Abstract: In drying coal to be used as fuel for a coal-fired boiler, the coal is dried at a temperature of 80 to 150.degree. C. by using combustion exhaust gas having passed through an air heater for the coal-fired boiler. Moreover, after medium-quality or low-quality coal is heated to a temperature of 300 to 500.degree. C. at a heating rate of not less than 100.degree. C. per minute and then cooled to a temperature of 250.degree. C. or below at a cooling rate of not less than 50.degree. C. per minute, the resulting reformed coal is cooled to a temperature of 70.degree. C. or below and stored for 1 month or more in a state of isolation from the atmosphere. In producing the aforesaid reformed coal, the medium-quality or low-quality coal is heated by using combustion exhaust gas obtained at the outlet of an economizer included in the coal-fired boiler equipment or at the outlet of a denitrator included therein.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method to reduce oxidative deterioration of bulk materials. Preferred embodiments of bulk materials include solid fuel materials, such as coal, and bulk food products. The method includes contacting a bulk material with a heat transfer medium to reduce the temperature of the bulk material below ambient temperature, and preferably below about 10.degree. C. In this manner, the rate of oxidation is sufficiently low so that significant losses, such as the loss of thermal values in of fuel material, are avoided. The heat transfer medium can be solid or fluid and in a preferred embodiment is liquid carbon dioxide or liquid nitrogen.

Abstract: An aqueous, coal dust suppression fluid comprising one or more surfactants and at least one high terpene-containing natural oil. The coal dust suppression fluid can be used in a formulation of water dosed with the aqueous dust suppression fluid for the abatement of coal dust. A method is described for the abatement of coal dust using the formulation.

Abstract: An aqueous dust suspression and dewatering fluid comprising one or more surfactants and at least one high terpene-containing natural oil. The fluid can be used in a formulation of water dosed with the aqueous dust suspression and dewatering fluid for the abatement of dust and dewatering of particulate material. Methods are described for the abatement of dust and dewatering of particulate material using the formulation.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method to reduce oxidative deterioration of bulk materials. Preferred embodiments of bulk materials include solid fuel materials, such as coal, and bulk food products. The method includes contacting a bulk material with a heat transfer medium to reduce the temperature of the bulk material below ambient temperature, and preferably below about 10.degree. C. In this manner, the rate of oxidation is sufficiently low so that significant losses, such as the loss of thermal values in of fuel material, are avoided. The heat transfer medium can be solid or fluid and in a preferred embodiment is liquid carbon dioxide or liquid nitrogen.

Abstract: A method for producing dried particulate coal fuel and electricity from a low rank particulate coal in a combined process.

Abstract: Coal is processed in an inclined fluidized bed dryer operated in a plug-flow manner with zonal temperature and composition control, and an inert fluidizing gas, such as carbon dioxide or combustion gas. Recycled carbon dioxide, which is used for drying, pyrolysis, quenching, and cooling, is produced by partial decarboxylation of the coal. The coal is heated sufficiently to mobilize coal tar by further pyrolysis, which seals micropores upon quenching. Further cooling with carbon dioxide enhances stabilization.

Abstract: A method is provided for removing moisture and improving the handling and storage characteristics or low-rank coal by demoisturizing the coal and rendering the coal surfaces hydrophobic, separating the fines and agglomerating the fines in a slurry.

Abstract: Aluminum-coated ammonium perchlorate is prepared in an apparatus consisting f a four-opening reaction flask (which serves as a vacuum chamber). The reaction flask is fitted with an electrically-heated tungsten helix coil (for vaporizing the aluminum), a mercury diffusion pump, a mechanical vacuum pump, a dry ice-acetone-cooled trap, and a McLeod pressure-measurement gage. The heater electrodes are submitted through two of the openings; reduced pressure operation is maintained through the third opening, and the aluminum is fed through the fourth opening. The reaction flask is operated at approximately 10 Torr. A magnetic stirrer permits the ammonium perchlorate to be vaporized onto the surface of the ammonium perchlorate after the melted aluminum on the tungsten helix coil is subsequently vaporized from the tungsten helix coil.

Abstract: Particulate coal is rendered less subject to spontaneous ignition by simultaneously spraying or otherwise contacting it and cooling it with an aqueous emulsion in water of a light cycle oil, heavy cycle oil, clarified slurry oil, durene, and other carbonaceous materials derived from coal liquefaction and petroleum refining. Aqueous polymer emulsions and oxidation inhibitors can also be used.

Abstract: Particulate coal is rendered less subject to spontaneous ignition by simultaneously spraying or otherwise contacting it and cooling it with an aqueous emulsion in water of foots oils, petrolatum filtrate, or hydrocracker recycle oils in water.

Abstract: The spontaneous ignition of low rank coal is inhibited by spraying coal with an aqueous solution of an oxidizing agent which contains combined oxygen, drying oxidizing agent-sprayed coal and cooling the dried coal.

Abstract: Particulate coal is rendered less subject to spontaneous ignition by spraying or otherwise contacting it with a light cycle oil, heavy cycle oil, clarified slurry oil, a solution of durene in gasoline and mixtures of two or more of the preceding.

Abstract: Coal is rendered less subject to abrasion and disintegration by reducing it to a 0.2 to 0.5-inch particle size and drying it at a temperature of 200.degree. to 230.degree. F. for 3-7 minutes. The coal is rendered less susceptible to spontaneous ignition by the application of a treating agent which is a petroleum resid mixed with clarified slurry oil or a petroleum resid mixed with a distillate.

Abstract: Coal is rendered less subject to abrasion and disintegration by reducing it to a 0.2 to 0.5-inch particle size and drying it at a temperature of 200.degree. to 230.degree. F. for 3-7 minutes. The coal can be rendered less susceptible to spontaneous ignition by the application of a treating agent which can be a light cycle oil, heavy cycle oil, clarified slurry oil, a petroleum or coal derived distillate or residuum, a solution of durene in gasoline and mixtures of two or more of the preceding.

Abstract: Coal is rendered less subject to abrasion and disintegration by reducing it to a 0.2 to 0.5-inch particle size and drying it in a drying zone at a temperature of 200.degree. to 230.degree. F. for 3-7 minutes while simultaneously applying a treating agent which can be a light cycle oil, heavy cycle oil, clarified slurry oil, a petroleum or coal derived distillate or residuum, a solution of durene in gasoline and mixtures of two or more of the preceding.

Abstract: Self-ignition of low rank coal is inhibited by application of a permanganate salt, such as potassium permanganate, together with a phosphorus compound, such as a phosphoric or polyphosphoric acid. The inhibitors are applied in aqueous solution following drying of the particulate coal. The combination treatment is much more effective than the use of a permanganate salt alone.