Process for the conversion of carbonaceous materials

Claim 2

A process for the conversion of solid carbonaceous materials containing less than about 50 weight per cent of solid inorganic compounds, which carbonaceous materials tend to produce coke during conversion, which comprises introducing a slurry composed of said solid carbonaceous material and a solvent having hydrogen transfer properties together with hydrogen into a reaction vessel comprising a plurality of closely-spaced reaction zones separated by porous partitions, a portion of said zones containing a solid particulate catalyst which will not pass through said porous partitions and the remainder of said zones forming substantially unobstructed passageways through said reaction vessel and passing slurry through said unobstructed passageways and through said porous partitions into contact with said catalyst under hydrogenation conditions, whereby hydrogenation of said carbonaceous materials takes place.

Claim 3

A process according to claim 1 wherein said reaction zones are substantially elongated and vertically disposed.

Claim 4

A process according to claim 1 wherein said reaction zones are substantially horizontally disposed.

Claim 5

A process according to claim 1 further characterized in that the ratio of the cross-sectional area of one catalyst zone to the total cross-sectional area of all catalyst zones is about 1:4 to about 1:10,000.

Claim 6

A process according to claim 1 wherein the volume proportion of substantially unobstructed passageways to catalyst is in the range of about 20:1 to about 1:10.

Claim 7

A process for the hydrogenation of solid carbonaceous material which comprises reducing said carbonaceous material to a fine state of subdivision; suspending the reduced solid carbonaceous material thus formed in a solvent having hydrogen transfer properties to form a slurry; and introducing said slurry together with hydrogen into a reaction vessel at a weight hourly space velocity between about 0.25 and about 40, said reaction vessel comprising a plurality of closely-spaced reaction zones separated by porous partitions, a portion of said zones containing a solid particulate hydrogenation catalyst which will not pass through said porous partitions and the remainder of said zones forming substantially unobstructed passageways through said reaction vessel, the volume proportion of substantially unobstructed passageways to catalyst zones being from about 20:1 to about 1:10, the reaction zones being maintained at a temperature between about 500° and about 900°F. and a pressure between about 500 to about 10,000 pounds per square inch gauge and passing slurry through said unobstructed passageways and through said porous partitions into contact with said catalyst, whereby hydrogenation of said carbonaceous materials takes place.

Claim 8

A process for the hydrogenation of solid carbonaceous material which comprises reducing said carbonaceous material to a fine state of subdivision; suspending the reduced solid carbonaceous material thus formed in a solvent having hydrogen transfer properties to form a slurry; and introducing said slurry together with hydrogen into a reaction vessel at a weight hourly space velocity between about 0.25 and about 40, said reaction vessel comprising a plurality of closely-spaced reaction zones separated by porous partitions, a portion of said zones containing a solid particulate hydrogenation catalyst which will not pass through said porous partitions and the remainder of said zones forming substantially unobstructed passageways through said reaction vessel, the volume proportion of substantially unobstructed passageways to catalyst zones being from about 20:1 to about 1:10, the reaction zones being maintained at a temperature between about 500° and about 900°F. and a pressure between about 500 to about 10,000 pounds per square inch gauge and passing slurry through said unobstructed passageways and through said porous partitions into contact with said catalyst, whereby hydrogenation of said carbonaceous materials takes place.

Claim 9

A process according to claim 6 wherein the solid carbonaceous material is selected from the group consisting of bituminous, subbituminous and lignite coals.

Claim 10

A process according to claim 7 wherein the coal is a Pittsburgh seam coal.

Claim 11

A process according to claim 7 wherein the coal is a Kentucky coal.

Claim 12

A process according to claim 7 wherein the coal is a Wyoming coal.

Claim 13

A process according to claim 6 wherein said reaction zones are substantially elongated and vertically disposed.

Claim 14

A process according to claim 6 wherein said reaction zones are substantially horizontally disposed.

Claim 15

A process according to claim 6 wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of liquids produced in the reaction vessel, anthracene, phenanthrene, naphthalene, chrysene, carbazole, tetralin and mixtures thereof alone and in combination with a phenolic compound selected from the group consisting of phenol and cresol.

Claim 16

A process according to claim 13 wherein the weight ratio of solvent to solid carbonaceous material is within the range of about 0.6:1 to about 4:1, solvent to solid carbonaceous material, respectively.

Claim 17

A process according to claim 13 wherein the weight ratio of solvent to solid carbonaceous material is within the range of about 1:1 to about 3:1, solvent to solid carbonaceous material, respectively.

Claim 18

A process according to claim 13 wherein the weight ratio of solvent to solid carbonaceous material is about 2:1, solvent to solid carbonaceous material, respectively.

Claim 19

A process according to claim 6 wherein the hydrogenation catalyst comprises at least one hydrogenating component selected from the group consisting of the metals, metal sulfides and/or metal oxides of (a) a combination of about 2 to about 25 per cent by weight molybdenum and at least two iron group metals based on the total weight of the catalyst where the iron group metals are present in such amounts that the atomic ratio of each iron group metal with respect to molybdenum is less than about 0.4 and (b) a combination of about 5 to about 40 per cent by weight of nickel and tungsten based on the total weight of the catalyst where the atomic ratio of tungsten to nickel is about 1:0.1 to 5, said hydrogenating component being composited with a porous support.

Claim 20

A process according to claim 17 wherein the hydrogenating component of the catalyst is a sulfided combination of molybdenum, nickel and cobalt.

Claim 21

A process according to claim 17 wherein the hydrogenating component of the catalyst is a sulfided combination of nickel and tungsten.

Claim 22

A process for the hydrogenation of a solid carbonaceous material selected from the group consisting of bituminous, subbituminous and lignite coals which comprises reducing said solid carbonaceous material to a fine state of subdivision such that at least 50 per cent of the reduced carbonaceous material will pass through a 40-mesh (U.S. Series) sieve; suspending the reduced carbonaceous material in anthracene oil to form a slurry wherein the weight ratio of anthracene oil to reduced carbonaceous material is within the range of about 0.6:1 to about 4:1 anthracene oil to carbonaceous material, respectively; passing said slurry together with hydrogen through a predigestion vessel at a volume hourly space velocity between about 0.1 and about 10.0, at a temperature of about 500° to about 900°F. and at a pressure within the range of about 100 to about 5000 pounds per square inch gauge, the rate of hydrogen addition being about 1000 to about 5000 standard cubic feet per barrel of slurry; and introducing the predigested slurry thus obtained together with hydrogen into a reaction vessel at a weight hourly space velocity between about 0.25 and about 40, said reaction vessel comprising a plurality of closely-spaced reaction zones separated by porous partitions, a portion of said zones containing a solid particulate hydrogenation catalyst which will not pass through said porous partitions and the remainder of said zones forming substantially unobstructed passageways through said reaction vessel, the volume proportion of substantially unobstructed passageways to catalyst zones being from about 20:1 to about 1:10, the reaction zones being maintained at a temperature between about 500° and about 900°F. and a pressure between about 500 and about 10,000 pounds per square inch gauge and passing slurry through said unobstructed passageways and through said porous partitions into contact with said catalyst whereby hydrogenation of said carbonaceous materials takes place.

Claim 23

A process for the hydrogenation of a solid carbonaceous material selected from the group consisting of bituminous, subbituminous and lignite coals which comprises reducing said solid carbonaceous material to a fine state of subdivision such that at least 50 per cent of the reduced carbonaceous material will pass through a 40-mesh (U.S. Series) sieve; suspending the reduced carbonaceous material in anthracene oil to form a slurry wherein the weight ratio of anthracene oil to reduced carbonaceous material is within the range of about 0.6:1 to about 4:1 anthracene oil to carbonaceous material, respectively; passing said slurry together with hydrogen through a predigestion vessel at a volume hourly space velocity between about 0.1 and about 10.0, at a temperature of about 500° to about 900°F. and at a pressure within the range of about 100 to about 5000 pounds per square inch gauge, the rate of hydrogen addition being about 1000 to about 5000 standard cubic feet per barrel of slurry; and introducing the predigested slurry thus obtained together with hydrogen into a reaction vessel at a weight hourly space velocity between about 0.25 and about 40, said reaction vessel comprising a plurality of closely-spaced reaction zones separated by porous partitions, a portion of said zones containing a solid particulate hydrogenation catalyst which will not pass through said porous partitions and the remainder of said zones forming substantially unobstructed passageways through said reaction vessel, the volume proportion of substantially unobstructed passageways to catalyst zones being from about 20:1 to about 1:10, the reaction zones being maintained at a temperature between about 500° and about 900°F. and a pressure between about 500 and about 10,000 pounds per square inch gauge and passing slurry through said unobstructed passageways and through said porous partitions into contact with said catalyst whereby hydrogenation of said carbonaceous materials takes place.

Claim 24

A process according to claim 10 wherein said reaction zones are substantially elongated and vertically disposed.

Claim 25

A process according to claim 20 wherein said reaction zones are substantially horizontally disposed.

Claim 26

A process according to claim 20 further characterized in that the ratio of the cross-sectional area of one catalyst zone to the total cross-sectional area of all catalyst zones is about 1:4 to about 1:10,000.

Claim 27

A process according to claim 20 wherein the coal is a Pittsburgh seam coal.

Claim 28

A process according to claim 20 wherein the coal is a Kentucky coal.

Claim 29

A process according to claim 20 wherein the coal is a Wyoming coal.

Claim 30

A process according to claim 20 wherein the hydrogenation catalyst comprises at least one hydrogenating component selected from the group consisting of the metals, metal sulfides and/or metal oxides of (a) a combination of about 2 to about 25 per cent by weight molybdenum and at least two iron group metals based on the total weight of the catalyst where the iron group metals are present in such amounts that the atomic ratio of each iron group metal with respect to molybendum is less than about 0.4 and (b) a combination of about 5 to about 40 per cent by weight of nickel and tungsten based on the total weight of the catalyst where the atomic ratio of tungsten to nickel is about 1:0.1 to 5, said hydrogenating component being composited with a porous support.

Claim 31

A process according to claim 27 wherein the hydrogenating component of the catalyst is a sulfided combination of molybdenum, nickel and cobalt.

Claim 32

A process according to claim 27 wherein the hydrogenating component of the catalyst is a sulfided combination of nickel and tungsten.