PROCESS FOR IMPROVING SOLUBLE COAL YIELD IN A COAL DEASHING PROCESS

摘要

ABSTRACTPROCESS FOR IMPROVING SOLUBLE COAL YIELDIN A COAL DEASHING PROCESSCoal liquefaction products are contacted with a deash-ing solvent and introduced into a first separation zone.The first separation zone is maintained at an elevatedtemperature and pressure, determined to maximize therecovery of soluble coal products, to cause said coalliquefaction products to separate into a first lightphase and a first heavy phase. Under -these conditionsthe heavy phase while still fluid-like in character issubstantially non-flowable. Flowability is returnedto the fluid-like heavy phase by the introduction of anadditional quantity of deashing solvent into the firstseparation zone at a location below the interface be-tween the first light and heavy phases or into theheavy phase withdrawal conduit during withdrawal of thefirst heavy phase and prior to any substantial pressurereduction. The first heavy phase then is withdrawnfrom the first separation zone for additional downstreamprocessing without plugging either the withdrawal con-duit or the downstream apparatus. The first lightphase comprising the soluble coal products is withdrawnand recovered in an increased yield to provide a moreeconomical coal deashing process.