Exxon Research and Engineering Company

Howard Freund

William Bartok

Richard Kenneth Lyon

Kuangnan Qian

Ronald Liotta

Anthony S Mennito

Kathleen E Edwards

Disclosed is a one-step ion-exchange method for organically bonding alkali and alkaline-earth metals onto coal. The method comprises contacting the coal, at a temperature from about 20.degree. C. to about 100.degree. C. with, (a) an aqueous solution containing cations of one or more metals selected from the group consisting of alkali and alkaline-earth metals, and (b) an oxidizing gas.

Cation ion exchange of coal

Disclosed is a process for combusting coal containing more than 1 wt. % sulfur which process comprises (a) providing a coal containing more than 1 wt. % sulfur and containing an organically bound calcium to sulfur ratio of at least about 0.8 to 1, (b) burning the coal to about 80% to 95% carbon conversion at temperatures greater than about 1,100.degree. C. in a first combustion zone in the presence of an oxidizing agent but under reducing conditions such that the equivalence ratio of coal to oxidizing agent is less than 1.5 but greater than or equal to 1.0, (c) separating the resulting solid effluent from the gaseous effluent from the first combustion zone, and (d) burning the gaseous effluent at a temperature from about 1,000.degree. C. to about 1,500.degree. C. in a second combustion zone under oxidizing conditions. A substantial amount of the sulfur of the coal is captured in the resulting solid effluent.

Partial combustion process for coal

Disclosed is a process for combusting coal wherein the emission of SO.sub.x or the emission of SO.sub.x and NO.sub.x are minimized. The process comprises (a) providing a coal containing at least twice as much organic calcium than sulfur; (b) burning the coal at a temperature greater than about 1200.degree. C. under reducing conditions; (c) separating the solid effluents from the gaseous effluents; and (d) burning the gaseous effluents at a temperature from about 1000.degree. C. to 1500.degree. C. under oxidizing conditions.

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Somerville, NJ, United States of America

Howard Freund