Continuous Nitric Acid Oxidation of Coal (Patent No: 778815)

Inventor: Creighton, Stephen M.

Location: Edmonton

Comments: N/A

Description: THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A continuous process for converting carbonaceous materials to humic acids which comprises passing a feed stream of finely divided carbonaceous material through a linearly extended path of travel and effecting substantial intermixing during passage therethrough, adding a stream of nitric acid at each of a plurality spaced apart locations on the path of travel, the nitric acid added at each location being essentially interreacted with the carbonaceous material prior to arrival of the carbonaceous material at the next nitric acid feed location, the humic acid reaction product emerging from the path of travel in a dry to the touch state.

2. The process of Claim 1 wherein the path of travel is enclosed and the carbonaceous particles pass concurrently with gaseous and vapor reaction products, separating only at the terminus of the path of travel.

3. The process of Claim 1 wherein concentrated nitric acid in essentially stoichiometric quantities for the reaction is employed.

4. The process of Claims 1, 2 and 3 wherein the carbonaceous material is low rank coal.

5. The process of Claims 1, 2 and 3 wherein the carbonaceous material is the nitrogen enriched coal resulting from air-ammonia oxidation of low rank coal.