The production carbonaceous feedstock material from waste containing carbon sources and the use thereof in gasification processes for hazardous emissions of greenhouse gases and sulphur are significantly minimized and enhanced reaction rates are described. A process for producing a carbonaceous feedstock material from waste containing carbon sources, including the steps consisting of: (i) introducing a source of biochar to a source of discard coal fines to form a bio-coal mixture; (ii) introducing a catalyst additive selected from the group consisting of a source of an alkali metal or a source of an alkaline earth metal to the bio-coal mixture; (iii) optionally, contacting the bio-coal mixture with a binder; and (iv) compacting the resulting mixture of step (ii) or (iii) to form one or more carbonaceous feedstock briquettes, the size of said briquettes having a dimension of at least 5 mm.

In accordance with the present invention, a fuel/oxygen solution is provided for use in the operation of any type of combustion chamber. Operationally, the fuel/oxygen solution is created by a solvent which includes a hydrocarbon based fuel that has been treated with an electromagnetically modified ethanol additive, and a solute that includes paramagnetic oxygen molecules. Chemically, the solvent additive has increased InterMolecular Forces (IMFs) and dispersion forces for hydrocarbon molecules in a treated fuel to make these respective forces effectively comparable with IMFs and dispersion forces of a solute of paramagnetic oxygen molecules. Thus, when atomized in a combustion chamber, the treated fuel acts as a more efficient solvent for dissolving oxygen from the air, to thereby create the fuel/oxygen solution for use in the combustion chamber.

Biomass is quickly becoming an important feedstock for energy generation in power plants. Due to their composition and nature, certain biomass fuels contribute to slagging, fouling, and corrosion. This invention provides a novel method of reducing or suppressing slag deposition and/or cleaning deposited slag in energy production processes in which potassium-containing solid fuels are combusted. Besides acting as a slag suppressant, further advantages of this invention are that the additive has no detrimental side-effects on capital equipment, increases slag friability, decreases slag fouling rate, reduces heat transfer corrosion as well as increasing the lifetime of the selective catalytic reduction catalyst.

In accordance with the present invention, a fuel/oxygen solution is provided for use in the operation of any type of combustion chamber. Operationally, the fuel/oxygen solution is created by a solvent which includes a hydrocarbon based fuel that has been treated with an electromagnetically modified ethanol additive, and a solute that includes paramagnetic oxygen molecules. Chemically, the solvent additive has increased InterMolecular Forces (IMFs) and dispersion forces for hydrocarbon molecules in a treated fuel to make these respective forces effectively comparable with IMFs and dispersion forces of a solute of paramagnetic oxygen molecules. Thus, when atomized in a combustion chamber, the treated fuel acts as a more efficient solvent for dissolving oxygen from the air, to thereby create the fuel/oxygen solution for use in the combustion chamber.

The present invention is a fuel additive that includes adducts which have been formed in a solution of metallic ions, ethanol and water. In particular, the adducts are formed for the fuel additive when the solution is electromagnetically radiated. When formed, the adducts have relatively strong permanent dipoles that will influence the temporary dipoles of hydrocarbons in untreated fuel. Specifically, under the influence of the fuel additive, hydrocarbons in the treated fuel will exhibit permanent dipoles that more effectively interact with oxygen molecules from air when the treated fuel is atomized in air in a combustion chamber.

Fuel additive compositions include a plurality of metal nanoparticles and a carrier that is dispersible in a hydrocarbon fuel. The metal nanoparticles can be spherical-shaped and/or coral-shaped metal nanoparticles. The carrier can be liquid, gel or solid and can be readily miscible or soluble in a hydrocarbon fuel such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, or fuel oil. The carrier can be a solid carrier configured to allow the hydrocarbon fuel to dissolve the solid carrier in order to release and disperse the metal nanoparticles within the hydrocarbon fuel.

Methods for improving the injector performance, unsticking fuel injectors, and reducing an amount of alkali metal carboxylate deposits on internal components of fuel injectors. The method includes operating the diesel engine on a fuel composition comprising a major amount of diesel fuel and from about 45 to about 550 ppm by weight based on a total weight of fuel composition of a fuel additive consisting essentially of a compound of the formula ##STR00001##
wherein R is an alkyl or alkenyl group containing from 20 to 170 carbon atoms. The additive has a total acid number (TAN) ranging from about 50 to about 290 mg KOH/g. Fuel injectors of the fuel injected diesel engine have an average injector hole diameter of less than 160 m and an average smallest clearance between injector needle and injector barrel/casing of less than about 10 m.

There is provided a process for operating a coal-fired furnace to generate heat. The process has the steps of a) providing the coal to the furnace and b) combusting the coal in the presence of a first slag-reducing ingredient and a second slag-reducing ingredient in amounts effective to reduce slag formation in the furnace. The first slag-reducing ingredient and the second slag-reducing ingredient are different substances. The first slag-reducing ingredient is selected from the group consisting of magnesium carbonate, magnesium hydroxide, magnesium oxide, magnesium sulfate, and combinations thereof. The second slag-reducing ingredient is selected from the group consisting of copper acetate, copper nitrate, aluminum nitrate, aluminum oxide, aluminum hydroxide, and ammonium phosphate. There is also provided a method for reducing slag formation in a coal-fired furnace.

A method for producing briquettes made of a waste material includes provisioning of at least one metal and at least one organic material. The waste material is mechanically prepared in a single or multiple stages and at least one first fraction of the waste material is separated. A briquette mixture containing the at least one first fraction is produced, wherein the at least one first fraction has a calorific value of 0 MJ/kg to 30 MJ/kg. A calorific value of the briquette mixture is adjusted by varying at least the first fraction. The briquette mixture is introduced into a briquetting device and pressed into briquettes. Briquettes with a calorific value of 5 MJ/kg to 30 MJ/kg and with a maximum copper content of 0.1 wt % to 20 wt % are produced.

The present disclosure provides a copper-magnesium co-doped carbonized wood sponge material, a preparation therefor, and an application thereof, and a method for converting plastics into fuel based on a Fenton-like system. In the present disclosure, a copper-magnesium co-doped carbonized wood sponge catalyst is prepared by high-temperature pyrolysis after a wood raw material is coated with polydopamine (PDA) and a copper element and a magnesium element are loaded on a wood sponge substrate, realizing the loading of a nanoreactor on a wood sponge layered structure, and forming a unique spatial microenvironment and synergistic effect by combining a superior three-dimensional lamellar structure of the wood sponge substrate with the structural advantages of the nanoreactor to promote an electron transfer pathway on a surface.