University of Utah Research Foundation

Alex G Oblad

Joseph S Shabtai

Wendell H Wiser

Jan D Miller

Francis V Hanson

Chi H Tsai

Rasmasamy Ramakrishnan

Ralph E Wood

Larry L Anderson

A process is disclosed for coal liquefaction in which minute particles of coal in intimate contact with a hydrogenation catalyst and hydrogen are reacted for a very short time at a temperature in excess of 400.degree. C. at a pressure of at least 250 psi to yield over 50% liquids with a liquid to gaseous hydrocarbon ratio in excess of 8:1.

Method for coal liquefaction

A process is disclosed for coal liquefaction in which minute particles of coal in intimate contact with a hydrogenation catalyst and hydrogen arc reacted for a very short time at a temperature in excess of 400.degree. C. at a pressure of at least 1500 psi to yield over 50% liquids with a liquid to gaseous hydrocarbon ratio in excess of 8:1.

A method of making jet fuel compositions from lower alkyl cyclopentanes and C.sub.5 -C.sub.8 olefins via a dehydrocondensation reaction in the presence of sulfuric acid or hydrofluoric acid. The reaction product contains a predominance of decalins and has high density, high heat of combustion and low freezing point.

Method of making jet fuel compositions via a dehydrocondensation

A combination physical separation process and thermal fluidized bed process for recovering products from tar sands. The process includes initially separating a portion of the sand from the tar sand through a physical separation process, yielding a bitumen-rich concentrate. The bitumen-rich concentrate is introduced into a heated fluidized bed and products are recovered and distilled into their respective fractions. A coked sand is removed from the fluidized bed and placed into a combustor where the carbonaceous residue on the sand is burned to produce a hot burnt sand, a portion of which may be recycled to provide heat to the bitumen-rich concentrate in the fluidized bed. The coked sand and a certain fraction of the distilled products may be recycled to the physical separation process to improve the separation efficiency thereof.

Process for recovering products from tar sand

A novel thermal process for recovering hydrocarbon and other products from tar sand. The process includes blending tar sand with a bitumen-rich concentrate while heating the same with a hot, burnt sand. The products are recovered by passing the combined feed through a fluidized bed and selectively controlling the temperature and residence times to obtain predetermined ratios of products. Coked sand residue from the fluidized bed is burned to produce the hot, burnt sand, a portion of which may be recycled to provide heat to the fluidized bed. Coked sand may also be recycled into a known, hot-water, caustic separation process where it synergistically improves the separation efficiency of the hot-water, caustic separation process.

Process for obtaining products from tar sand

A hydropyrolysis process for upgrading heavy, high molecular weight feedstocks such as coal-derived liquids, petroleum crudes, tar sand bitumens, shale oils, bottom residues from process streams, and the like, to lighter, lower molecular weight liquid products. The process includes subjecting the feedstocks to pyrolysis in the presence of hydrogen under carefully controlled conditions of temperature and pressure. The process can be defined as hydrogen-modified, thermal cracking in the specific temperature range of 450.degree. C. to 650.degree. C. and in the hydrogen pressure range of about 120 psi to 2250 psi. The amount of hydrogen present can be varied according to the type of feedstock and the liquid product desired. Although the hydrogen is not consumed in large amounts, it does participate in and modifies the process, and thereby provides a means of controlling the process as to the molecular weight range and structural type distribution of the liquid products. The presence of hydrogen also inhibits coke formation. The process also eliminates the requirement for a catalyst so that the reaction will proceed in the presence of heavy metal contaminants in the feedstock which contaminants would otherwise poison any catalyst.

Hydropyrolysis process for upgrading heavy oils and solids into light

A process for reducing the amount of catalyst required for coal hydrogenation-liquefaction reactions involving dry fed, short-residence coal reaction systems. Coal particles are mixed with dry catalyst material having a vapor pressure of 1 to 1000 mm Hg at reaction conditions. Catalysts having such high vapor pressure have demonstrated greatly improved ability to establish the required intimate contact for efficient catalysis when dry mixed and enable significant reduction of amounts of catalyst material required. In systems utilizing ZnCl.sub.2 as the catalyst material, reductions in percent weight concentration to the range of 1 to 2% are accomplished. The invention disclosed herein was developed in part under contract funding provided by the Energy Research and Development Administration of the United States Government.

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Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America

Alex G Oblad