Production of acetylene from coal by contact with a combustion gas

Abstract

A process wherein coal is reacted with a hot gas stream to produce acetylene. The process comprises the sequential steps of reacting a fuel, oxygen and steam under controlled conditions of temperature to produce a hot gas stream principally comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and steam along with minor amounts of carbon dioxide, and essentially free of O, OH and O.sub.2. The hot gas stream is accelerated to a high velocity and impinged upon a stream of particulate bituminous or subbituminous coal and thereafter the mixture of hot gas and coal is decelerated to a velocity of from about 150 to 300 feet per second. The amounts of the streams of particulate coal and hot gas are controlled to produce in the reaction zone a pressure in the range of from about 10 to 100 psia and a temperature of from about 1800.degree. to 3000.degree. F. The mixture of coal and hot gas is maintained at that pressure and temperature for a time of from about 2 to 30 milliseconds to produce a product stream including char and acetylene. The temperature of the product stream is then reduced to less than about 900.degree. F. in a time of less than about 2 milliseconds to substantially arrest any further reactions and the acetylene is recovered therefrom. The char is recovered and used as at least a part of the fuel used to produce hot gas.