Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

International Coal Refining Company

George W Roberts

Shivaji Sircar

Paul Stepanoff

Edwin N Givens

Thomas Hsiao-Ling Hsiung

Ronald W Skinner

John C Tao

James G Hansel

Pradip Rao

Goutam H Shahani

Alan T Perka

Dennis M Brown

Leo W Bonnell

The present invention is directed to a process for removing minor amounts of oxygen from inert gas streams to result in very low levels of oxygen contamination in such inert gas streams, wherein the oxygen is removed by the action of stoichiometric quantities of methanol, which react with the oxygen over a catalyst at ambient feed temperature conditions without a requirement for external heating of the reaction.

Deoxygenation of inert gas streams with methanol

The present invention is directed to a process for producing endothermic gases from methanol and inert gas streams containing minor amounts of oxygen, wherein the oxygen is reacted with stoichiometric excess quantities of methanol over a catalyst as ambient feed temperature conditions without a requirement for external heating of the reaction to produce an endothermic gas containing very low levels of oxygen and methanol and significant quantities of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, water and carbon dioxide.

Production of endothermic gases with methanol

The present invention relates to a method of activation of a CuO/ZnO/Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 catalyst slurried in a chemically inert liquid. Successful activation of the catalyst requires the use of a process in which the temperature of the system at any time is not allowed to exceed a certain critical value, which is a function of the specific hydrogen uptake of the catalyst at that same time. This process is especially critical for activating highly concentrated catalyst slurries, typically 25 to 50 wt %. Activation of slurries of CuO/ZnO/Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 catalyst is useful in carrying out the liquid phase methanol or the liquid phase shift reactions.

In-situ activation of CuO/ZnO/Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 catalysts in the liquid

The present invention is a process for the production of methanol from a syngas feed containing carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen. Basically, the process is the combination of two liquid phase methanol reactors into a staging process, such that each reactor is operated to favor a particular reaction mechanism. In the first reactor, the operation is controlled to favor the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide, and in the second reactor, the operation is controlled so as to favor the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide. This staging process results in substantial increases in methanol yield.

Liquid phase methanol reactor staging process for the production of

Enhanced oil recovery from a crude oil reservoir is promoted following primary oil production, by subjecting the reservoir to water flooding, discontinuing the water flooding, preferably when the remaining oil is at an OIP level above 0.10, and then subjecting the reservoir to fireflooding with gas having an O.sub.2 content of at least 50%, preferably above 85%.

Enhanced crude oil recovery

In this invention, a process is disclosed characterized by heating a slurry of coal in the presence of a process-derived recycle solvent and passing same to a dissolver zone, separating the resultant gases and liquid/solid products therefrom, vacuum distilling the liquid/solids products, separating the portions of the liquid/solids vacuum distillation effluent into a solid ash, unconverted coal particles and SRC material having a boiling point above 850.degree. F. and subjecting same to a critical solvent deashing step to provide an ash-free SRC product. The lighter liquid products from the vacuum distillation possess a boiling point below 850.degree. F. and are passed through a distillation tower, from which recycled solvent is recovered in addition to light distillate boiling below 400.degree. F. (overhead). The ash-free SRC product in accompanyment with at least a portion of the process derived solvent is passed in combination to a hydrotreating zone containing a hydrogenation catalyst and in the presence of hydrogen is hydroprocessed to produce a desulfurized and denitrogenized low-sulfur, low-ash boiler fuel and a process derived recycle solvent which is recycled to slurry the coal in the beginning of the process before heating.

Process for producing low-sulfur boiler fuel by hydrotreatment of

There is described an improved liquefaction process by which coal is converted to a low ash and low sulfur carbonaceous material that can be used as a fuel in an environmentally acceptable manner without costly gas scrubbing equipment. In the process, coal is slurried with a pasting oil, passed through a preheater and at least two dissolvers in series in the presence of hydrogen-rich gases at elevated temperatures and pressures. Solids, including mineral ash and unconverted coal macerals, are separated from the condensed reactor effluent. In accordance with the improved process, the first dissolver is operated at a higher temperature than the second dissolver. This temperature sequence produces improved product selectivity and permits the incorporation of sufficient hydrogen in the solvent for adequate recycle operations.

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Emmaus, PA, United States of America

George W Roberts