Coal suspensions in organic liquids

{
  "publication_number": "US4251230A",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A",
  "title": "Coal suspensions in organic liquids",
  "abstract": "Suspensions of coal dust powder in fuel oil are stabilized against sedimentation by an additive that makes them viscous under conditions of low shear in order to keep the coal in suspension under static conditions while exhibiting relatively low viscosity under high shear conditions to facilitate pumping through long range pipelines by the combination of a suitable surfactant with a gelling grade clay suspending agent.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A mobile combustible suspension comprising: carbonaceous solids in particulate form; a combustible liquid hydrocarbon for dispersion of said solids; a gelling grade clay to cause the combustible liquid hydrocarbon to become gelled; and an alkanolamide of a carboxylic acid as a surfactant for dispersing the solids and clay within the suspension whereby the mobile suspension has a relatively high apparent viscosity at low shear and a relatively low apparent viscosity at high shear.",
    "2. The suspension as set forth in claim 1 wherein the alkanolamide of a carboxylic acid is formed from the reaction between an alkanolamine and a fatty acid.",
    "3. The suspension as set forth in claim 2 wherein the alkanolamine is selected from the group consisting of monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, monoisopropanolamine and diisopropanolamine.",
    "4. The suspension as set forth in claim 2 wherein the fatty acid is selected from a group consisting of dodecanoic acid, tridecanoic acid, myristic acid, pentadecanoic acid, palmitic acid, margaric acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid.",
    "5. The suspension as set forth in claim 1 wherein the liquid hydrocarbon is selected from the group consisting of fuel oil, mineral spirits, kerosene, coal tar, and pressure still oil or tar, or mixtures thereof.",
    "6. The suspension as set forth in claim 1 wherein the carbonaceous solids are selected from the group consisting of coke, coal and asphalt.",
    "7. The suspension as set forth in claim 6 wherein the coal is selected from the group consisting of lignite, bituminous, anthracite and cannel coal or mixtures thereof.",
    "8. The suspension as set forth in claim 7 wherein the coal comprises a coal dust powder having a particle size between 100 and 200 mesh.",
    "9. The suspension as set forth in claim 7 wherein the coal contains a volatile content of about 40% and an ash content of about 7%.",
    "10. The suspension as set forth in claim 8 wherein the coal dust is about 88% finer than about 200 mesh.",
    "11. The suspension as set forth in claim 1 wherein the clay is selected from the group consisting of attapulgite, Wyoming bentonite, sepiolite and palygorskite or mixtures thereof.",
    "12. A suspension of carbonaceous solids in a combustible liquid hydrocarbon having a relatively high apparent viscosity at low shear and a relatively low apparent viscosity at high shear comprising: from about 25-70% by-weight of carbonaceous solids in particulate form; from about 28-56% by-weight of combustible liquid hydrocarbon; from about 0.5-3.0 weight percent of a gellint grade clay to cause the liquid hydrocarbon to become gelled; and from about 0.1-1.0 weight percent of an alkanolamide of a carboxylic acid as a surfactant of the type that will disperse the clay in the liquid and will not prevent the refloculation and formulation of a gel structure of the clay particles in the liquid, whereby the surfactant disperses the carbonaceous solids and the clay within the suspension.",
    "13. The suspension as set forth in claim 12 wherein the alkanolamide of a carboxylic acid is formed from the reaction between an alkanolamine and a fatty acid.",
    "14. The suspension as set forth in claim 13 wherein the alkanolamine is selected from the group consisting of monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, monoisopropanolamine and diisopropanolamine.",
    "15. The suspension as set forth in claim 13 wherein the fatty acid is selected from a group consisting of dodecanoic acid, tridecanoic acid, myristic acid, pentadecanoic acid, palmitic acid, margaric acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid.",
    "16. A powdered coal suspension in fuel oil having a high apparent viscosity at low shear and a low apparent viscosity at high shear comprising: from about 50-60% by-weight of powdered coal; from about 38-49 weight percent of fuel oil; from about 0.5-1.0 weight percent gelling grade clay for causing the fuel oil to become gelled; and from about 0.1-0.33 weight percent of an alkanolamide of a carboxylic acid as a surfactant of the type that will disperse the clay in the liquid and will not prevent the refloculation and formulation of a gel structure of the clay particles in the liquid, whereby the surfactant disperses the carbonaceous solids and the clay within the suspension.",
    "17. A method of forming a mobile combustible suspension of carbonaceous solids in a combustible liquid hydrocarbon having a high apparent viscosity at low shear and a low apparent viscosity at high shear comprising the steps of: forming an alkanolamide by reacting an alkanolamine with a carboxylic acid; and adding the alkanolamide, a gelling grade clay and the carbonaceous solids to the liquid hydrocarbon to form the mobile suspension.",
    "18. A method of forming a mobile combustible suspension of carbonaceous solids in a combustible liquid hydrocarbon having a high apparent viscosity at low shear and a low apparent viscosity at high shear comprising the steps of: reacting an alkanolamine with a carboxylic acid in the liquid hydrocarbon to form an alkanolamide; adding a gelling grade clay to the liquid hydrocarbon; and adding the carbonaceous solids to the liquid hydrocarbon to form the mobile suspension.",
    "19. The method of claim 17 or 18 wherein the alkanolamine is selected from the group consisting of monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, monoisopropanolamine and diisopropanolamine.",
    "20. The method of claim 17 or 18 wherein the carboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of dodecanoic acid, tridecanoic acid, myristic acid, pentadecanoic, palmitic acid, margaric acid, stearic, oleic acid and linoleic acid.",
    "21. The method of claim 17 or 18 wherein the carbonaceous solids are selected from the group consisting coke, coal, asphalt and mixtures thereof.",
    "22. The method of claim 17 or 18 wherein the liquid hydrocarbon is selected from the group consisting of fuel oils, kerosene, coal tar, pressure still bottoms and mixtures thereof.",
    "23. The method of claim 17 or 18 wherein the carbonaceous solids are in the range of about from 35-70% by-weight.",
    "24. The method of claim 17 or 18 wherein the carbonaceous solids are in the range of about from 50-60% by-weight.",
    "25. The method of claim 17 or 18 wherein the liquid hydrocarbon is in the range of about from 28-56% by-weight.",
    "26. The method of claim 17 or 18 wherein the liquid hydrocarbon is in the range of about from 38-49% by-weight.",
    "27. The method as set forth in claim 17 or 18 wherein the clay is in the range of about from 0.5-3.0% by-weight.",
    "28. The method of claim 17 or 18 wherein the clay is in the range of about from 0.1-1.0% by-weight.",
    "29. The method of claim 17 or 18 wherein the clay is in the range of about from 0.5-3.0% by-weight and the ratio of clay to alkanolamide is in the range of about 3/1 to 7/1.",
    "30. The method as set forth in claim 17 or 18 wherein the clay is in the range of about from 0.5-3.0% by-weight and the ratio of clay to alkanolamide is in the range of about from 4/1 to 5/1.",
    "31. The method as set forth in claim 17 or 18 wherein the clay is selected from the group consisting of attapulgite, Wyoming bentonite, sepiolite and palygorskite and mixtures thereof.",
    "32. The method as set forth in claim 17 or 18 wherein the carbonaceous solids contain a volatile content of about 40% and ash content of about 7%.",
    "33. The method as set forth in claim 17 or 18 wherein the clay is in the range of from about 0.1-1.0% by-weight and the ratio of clay to alkanolamide is in the range of about 3/1 to 7/1.",
    "34. The method of claim 17 or 18 wherein the clay is in the range of about from 0.1-1.0% by-weight and the ratio of clay to alkanolamide is in the range of about from 4/1 to 5/1."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This invention relates in general to a fuel as a product, and more particularly to mobile suspensions of carbonaceous solids in combustible liquid hydrocarbons stabilized against sedimentation and process of making same.\n\nThe continually escalating cost of fuel oil as an energy source and its predicted depletion suggests the use of other type fossil fuels as fuel oil substitutes. The abundance of coal and its ready accessibility presents the need for an immediate direct substitution of coal for fuel oil wherever possible.\n\nSeveral factors have retarded the immediate substitution of coal for fuel oil. One such factor is the difficulty in transporting the coal in bulk from the point of origin to the place of intended use. Another important factor to be considered in the substitution of coal for fuel oil is the effect of the coal burning by-products on the ecology. The problem of transporting coal over long distances is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,062,694. This patent provides means for forming stable suspensions of finely divided coal dust in water for efficient transport within long distance pipelines. A third factor which is of paramount importance is the necessity of converting oil burning equipment over to the proper facility for burning coal.\n\nIn order to reduce the effect of coal burning on the ecology the coal is not directly substituted for fuel oil as an energy source but rather is partially substituted for some of the fuel oil and is burned in combination with the oil. The addition of finely divided coal dust in a combustible organic liquid is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,390,228.",
  "cpc": [
    "C10L 1/322"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "C10L 1/32",
    "C10L 10/18"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "International Telephone and Telegraph Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Edgar W. Sawyer, Jr."
  ],
  "filing_date": "1978-10-26",
  "publication_date": "1981-02-17",
  "grant_date": "1981-02-17",
  "priority_date": "1978-10-26",
  "application_number": "US-95506578-A",
  "family_id": "25496328",
  "cited_by_count": 22,
  "citations": [
    "US2125753A",
    "US2250287A",
    "US3210168A"
  ]
}