We've made several reports concerning the "International Coal Refining Company", or "ICR", factory in Allentown, PA; which was a USDOE-sponsored Coal liquefaction facility, that synthesized liquid hydrocarbon fuels out of Coal, and which was operated as a joint venture, in part, by the Air Products and Chemicals Company.
Most recently, as in: USDOE Funds Pennsylvania Coal Liquefaction | Research & Development | News;
we recorded two United States Patents for Coal liquefaction technology, including:
United States Patent: 4376032 - "Coal Liquefaction Desulfurization Process"; and:
United States Patent: 4510040 - "Coal Liquefaction Process";
which arose from that US tax dollar-financed effort.
Herein, we present yet another. And, it contains one interesting bit of information, confirming other of our reports, which we attempt to highlight, following excerpts from the initial link in this dispatch to:
"United States Patent 4,536,275 - Integrated Two-Stage Coal Liquefaction Process
Date: August, 1985
Inventor: James C. Bronfenbrenner, et. al., PA and CA
Assignee: International Coal Refining Company, Allentown, PA
Government Interests: The Government of the United States of America has rights in this invention pursuant to contract No. DE-AC05-780R03054 (as modified), awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Abstract: This invention relates to an improved two-stage process for the production of liquid carbonaceous fuels and solvents from carbonaceous solid fuels, especially coal.
Claims: A process for solvent refining coal with increased distillate production by recycle of hydrotreated asphaltenes ... .
This invention relates to a process for the liquefaction of carbonaceous solid fuels, particularly coals enhanced with respect to production of liquid carbonaceous fuels and solvents.
(The) recycle of asphaltenes and preasphaltenes ... improves distillate yield substantially."
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We have abbreviated our excerpts due to the dense technical nature of the Disclosure.
But, note that this is labeled to be an "Integrated Two-Stage Coal Liquefaction Process"; and, we thus presume it to be a direct improvement on another ICR Coal liquefaction technology, about which we have also earlier reported, via: USDOE Pays for Two-Stage Coal Liquefaction | Research & Development | News; wherein is disclosed "USP 4,491,511 - Two-Stage Coal Liquefaction Process"; a patent issued to ICR just months before our subject USP 4,536,275; and, which detailed a Coal solvent refining process which yields what they refer to as an improved "product slate".
And, this is yet another direct Coal liquefaction process which uses hydrogenating solvents extracted from Coal, by the process itself, as in the "recycle of hydrotreated asphaltenes", to effect the initial hydrogenation and dissolution of more raw Coal.
In that, it might be somewhat closely related to WVU's "West Virginia Process" for direct Coal liquefaction, wherein "Tetralin", an hydrogenated version of the primary Coal oil, Naphthalene, is specified as the solvent which effects such Coal hydrogenation and dissolution.
And, though not reflected in our excerpts, the technical description states specifically that the technology herein was directly derivative of another Coal liquefaction process developed with US Government support, at the Wilsonville, Alabama, Coal conversion facility; about which we have previously reported, as in, for just one example: DOE/BP Liquify Alabama Coal | Research & Development | News; wherein is disclosed the:
"Analyses of Illinois no. 6 Coal Liquefaction results generated in the Wilsonville, Alabama Unit" along with the inexplicable, but suspect, fact that British Petroleum had been contracted to assist in the Alabama Coal liquefaction effort.
In any case, we have herein, via US Patent 4,536,275, further confirmation of the facts, that: Coal can be efficiently hydrogenated and liquefied, using solvents that are co-produced in the Coal liquefaction process itself; and, that, We the People, supposedly, own at least a share of the rights to use those technologies; technologies which can, as documented again herein, efficiently convert our abundant Coal into needed liquid hydrocarbon fuels.