The Superior Oil Company

John H Knight

Bernard E Weichman

Lewis A St Cyr

Omer L Wilson

Nahcolite-containing ore particles are separated from oil shale particles in a mixture of particles of nahcolite-bearing oil shale ore by irradiating the mixture of ore particles with electromagnetic energy in the infrared region of the spectrum and sorting the particles according to energy reflected at one or more selected wavelengths within that region to separate the nahcolite-containing ore particles from the oil shale particles.

Separation of nahcolite from oil shale by infrared sorting

A plurality of hydrocarbon fractions are recovered from hydrocarbon-bearing material such as oil shale in a continuous retort wherein a bed of the material is moved through a heating chamber, the heating being for a time and at a temperature effective to strip increasingly heavier hydrocarbon fractions from the material as it moves through the heating chamber. The hydrocarbon fractions are collected by a plurality of collection means disposed along the path of movement of the bed for recovery of a corresponding plurality of hydrocarbon fractions.

Method for recovery of hydrocarbon fractions from hydrocarbon-bearing

In the process for recovering energy values from oil shale by the cross-flow retort technique, an improvement is disclosed wherein controlled oxidation of non-vaporizable carbonaceous residue not only provides additional heat for the continuation of the oil educing process without application of external heat but also enables the continuation of a temperature profile which is below that at which adverse chemical and physical changes occur in the shale. According to the invention the moving bed is removed from exposure to external heat as soon as oil eduction has been completed in the upper bed regions. It is thereafter immediately exposed to unheated gases containing measured amounts of oxygen. Oxidation is initiated in those regions of the bed which are above about 800.degree. F. The heat generated by such oxidation may be utilized, in place of externally heated gases, to transfer heat to the lower regions of the bed for oil eduction from those lower regions.

Recovery of hydrocarbon values by controlled eduction and oxidation of

Sulfur dioxide is removed from a gas stream, such as that generated by the combustion of a sulfur-containing fuel or ore processing, by introducing particulate nahcolite into the gas stream in a high temperature zone. The high temperature zone provides an environment for the size reduction of the particulate nahcolite and an effective environment for the removal of the sulfur dioxide. The size reduction of particulate nahcolite is accomplished by a thermal crushing process.

Sulfur dioxide removal using thermally crushed nahcolite

A method for improved operation of a cross-flow device for heating and/or cooling a moving bed of solids by reducing residence time and eliminating gas leakage between adjacent heating and cooling zones. A bed of solid particles is formed on a grate for movement through heating and cooling zones or chambers. As the bed of particles is moved through the heating and cooling zones, cross flows of hot or cool gas are passed through the bed normal to the direction of bed movement. The use of downdraft gas flow in each zone of the cross-flow device permits the same pressure profile to be produced in each zone, and a zero pressure differential between zones from top to bottom of the bed. Thus active grate space between adjacent zones is reduced, and greater efficiency obtained. In addition, when heating of the solids is followed by cooling, the passage through the bed of the heating and cooling gas streams in the same direction permits heating of the lowermost particles in the bed after these particles have passed into the cooling zone of the device.

Method for reducing residence time and eliminating gas leakage between

Alkali metal and alkaline earth metal carbonate compounds (in a variety of forms), including sodium ores of nahcolite and calcium ores of limestone, can be thermally comminuted or crushed. Size reduction is accomplished by a thermal treatment process called thermal crushing. The solids are subjected to a high temperature environment which causes a rapid temperature rise within the solid particles. This rapid temperature rise apparently results in a rapid generation of gases within the particle that exceeds the rate at which the gases can escape, thus resulting in a pressure buildup inside the solid particles. This causes the particles to explode or disintegrate into many smaller particles or powder. The resulting generation of small particles or powder by thermal crushing of thermally crushable carbonate compounds improves their application for removing reactive gaseous impurities, such as sulfur dioxide, NO.sub.x, etc., from a flue gas. To remove such gaseous impurities, the small particles or powder produced by thermal crushing are introduced into a flue gas when the flue gas is at a temperature up to 1,500.degree. F.

Thermal crushing of alkali compounds in the removal of sulfur dioxides

A method of reducing the sulfur and nitrogen content of a hydrocarbon, specifically, a liquid or gaseous phase hydrocarbon which comprises contacting the hydrocarbon with nahcolite in an amount effective to remove sulfur and nitrogen compounds from the hydrocarbon. The nahcolite containing combined sulfur and nitrogen can be removed from the hydrocarbon, producing a hydrocarbon having a reduced sulfur and nitrogen content. The method is particularly applicable to the reduction of the sulfur and nitrogen content in shale oil by contacting shale oil and nahcolite in a shale oil retort or process.

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Aurora, CO, United States of America

John H Knight