Partial oxidation of vanadium-containing heavy liquid hydrocarbonaceous

Abstract

Process for the production of gaseous mixtures comprising H.sub.2 +CO e.g. synthesis gas, reducing gas, or fuel gas by the partial oxidation of a vanadium-containing liquid hydrocarbonaceous fuel, solid carbonaceous fuel, or mixtures thereof in a free-flow vertical refractory lined gas generator. The feed mixture to the gas generator comprises (i) a vanadium-containing fuel; (ii) supplemental copper-containing additive; and (iii) at least a portion of the remainder of the copper-containing slag after separation of an enriched vanadium-containing coarse slag fraction. Materials (ii) and (iii) combine in the partial oxidation reaction zone with at least a portion of the nickel and iron constituents and the sulfur found in the feedstock to produce a liquid phase washing agent that collect and transports at least a portion of the vanadium-containing oxide laths and spinels and other ash components out of the reaction zone as molten vanadium-containing slag. A coarse slag fraction having a decreased Cu/V weight ratio is produced when a portion of the molten slag entrained in the hot raw effluent gas stream from the partial oxidation reaction zone is deposited on the walls of a slag separation chamber located between the bottom discharge outlet in the reaction zone and the effluent gas quench tank located at the bottom of the gas generator. Chunks of the slag drop into the quench tank and the enriched vanadium containing coarse slag portion is separated from the remainder of the copper-containing slag comprising smaller sized particles. It is economically advantageous to recover by-product vanadium from the coarse slag fraction in a metal refining plant.