Herein is further confirmation of just how well-developed and well-understood the technology for liquefying Coal, to produce synthetic liquid hydrocarbons, is.
Like a few earlier we have submitted, the enclosed US Patent doesn't disclose how hydrocarbon liquids are made from Coal, but, rather, how such Coal-derived hydrocarbons can be further treated and refined, so as to provide direct replacements for petroleum-based feed stocks in the manufacture of hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals.
Note that the invention was made by a Pittsburgh-area Coal scientist, presumably in the employ of Continental Oil-owned Consolidation Coal Company.
Comment follows very brief excerpts from:
"United States Patent 4,396,489 - Deashing Coal Liquefaction Effluents
Date: August, 1983
Inventor: Francis Burke, Bethel Park, PA
Assignee: Conoco, Inc., CT
Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for deashing an effluent slurry from a coal liquefaction process is provided. A mixture of relatively coarse coal-derived solids and a precipitating solvent is stirred with the effluent slurry to form hard, discrete agglomerate pellets of improved settling rates.
Claims: A method of separating residual solids from liquid coal liquefaction product ... .
Description: This invention relates to a process and apparatus for the liquefaction of coal by means of solvent extraction; and more particularly, to the removal of the residual solids from the liquid effluent obtained by such liquefaction. "
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We find it fascinating, and hope you do, too, that, three decades ago, a major US petroleum corporation already knew enough, about the technicalities of converting Coal into liquid hydrocarbon petroleum replacements, that they could, and were motivated enough to, devote effort into devising an improved "method of separating residual solids from liquid coal liquefaction product".
We find it fascinating, as well, that such developments were made so long ago in one of the hearts of US Coal Country, but, news of such achievements and activities hasn't, apparently, yet reached the eyes and ears of anyone living in US Coal Country.