Exxon Research and Engineering Company

Lawrence B Ebert

John P DeLuca

Louis Matty, Jr

Anionic grafting of olefinic monomers onto coal substrates is disclosed. The process comprises grafting polymeric side chains onto coal by contacting coal with a covalently bonded alkyl or aryl alkali metal initiator to generate carbon-alkali metal bonds and then reacting these bonds with an olefinically unsaturated monomer for a time sufficient to produce a grafted coal product having polymeric side chains bonded to the coal. The resulting coal grafts evidence enhanced solubility in organic solvents, and liquids derived from the coal grafts evidence reduced sulfur content.

Anionic grafts of monomers onto coal substrates

A method is disclosed for the selective separation and sequestering of plutonium from uranium which comprises contacting a gas stream containing uranium hexafluoride [at a partial pressure of 26 torr or less] and plutonium hexafluoride at any pressure with graphite whereby PuF.sub.6 is selectively intercalated into the graphite while UF.sub.6 is left unreacted in the gas stream. Preferably, the contacting of UF.sub.6 and PuF.sub.6 with graphite is conducted in the presence of excess fluorine. In another embodiment the graphite is first reacted with a chemical oxidant. Such pretreatment of the graphite renders it inert to UF.sub.6 intercalation at partial pressures over 26 torr, the pressure above which UF.sub.6 normally intercalates with graphite. Such pretreatment will have less effect on PuF.sub.6 intercalation into the prereacted graphite compound and therefore will permit the separation of UF.sub.6 -PuF.sub.6 by differential intercalation into the prereacted graphite compound to be conducted at higher partial pressures of UF.sub.6.

Growing community of inventors

New Providence, NJ, United States of America

Lawrence B Ebert