Beneficiation of lignite by oil agglomeration as an integral part of coprocessing

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Preprints of Papers, American Chemical Society, Division of Fuel Chemistry; (USA)

OSTI ID:5342582

Ikura, Michio; Kelly, J F; Capes, E ^[1]

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1. Energy Research Laboratories, CANMET, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)

The low cost of Canadian low-rank coals makes them prime feedstocks for coprocessing with bitumens and heavy oils. Depending on the coal concentration in the feed slurry, the high ash level in some of these coals can cause operational problems as well as reduce the overall process efficiency and the net liquid product yield. To reduce the ash content in the feed slurry, oil agglomeration can be used for coal beneficiation (deashing) as an integral part of coprocessing technology. However, an optimum integrated approach requires the use of undiluted bitumen or heavy oil feedstocks as a bridging liquid. Also, low-rank coals as well as oxidized higher rank coals often possess a relatively hydrophilic surface. This makes the application of oil agglomeration extremely difficult. A novel method of beneficiating low-rank coals for coprocessing by oil agglomeration using a part of the feed bitumen for coprocessing has been conceived and developed. This method overcomes the hydrophilic surface problem of low-rank coals and allows the use of undiluted coprocessing feed oils as viscous as vacuum bottoms. Experimental results on the beneficiation of a Canadian lignite with vacuum bottoms are presented. The efficiency of the process was evaluated in terms of combustibles recovery and ash rejection. The agglomeration of Willowbunch lignite (ash content from 20 to 22 wt % on a mf basis) with Interprovincial Pipe Line (IPPL conventional crude) vacuum bottoms resulted in 51 to 97 wt % combustibles recovery and a corresponding 77 to 42 wt % ash rejection. The effects of vacuum bottoms concentration, operating temperature, and processing time on the beneficiation performance are discussed.

• OSTI ID: 5342582
• Report Number(s): CONF-8806312--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Preprints of Papers, American Chemical Society, Division of Fuel Chemistry; (USA) Journal Volume: 33:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010300* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Preparation-- (1987-)
010405 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Hydrogenation & Liquefaction
02 PETROLEUM
020400 -- Petroleum-- Processing
AGGLOMERATION
ASH CONTENT
ASHES
BROWN COAL
CANADA
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
COAL
COAL LIQUEFACTION
COAL PREPARATION
COPROCESSING
DEASHING
DIAGRAMS
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY SOURCES
FLOWSHEETS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
LIGNITE
LIQUEFACTION
MATERIALS
NORTH AMERICA
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM FRACTIONS
PETROLEUM RESIDUES
PROCESSING
REMOVAL
RESIDUES
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TESTING
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TIME DEPENDENCE
VISCOSITY