Described are methods for processing mixed solid waste. The method includes providing a mixed solid waste stream including dry organic material comingled with wet organic and/or inorganic material. The mixed waste is shredded and then separated using size separation and density separation. The shredder has a cut size and rotation speed that produces less than 20% by mass of particles smaller than 2 inches from the mixed solid waste. The shredded mix solid waste is then separated by density and a portion of the stream is recovered as a recyclable or converted to a high value product.

A process of making a fuel product from a non-combustible high protein organic material such as a waste material. The high protein organic material is pulverized to a particle size whose particle size less than 2 mm. The moisture content of the high protein organic material is mechanically reduced and dried to reduce the moisture content to less than ten percent (10%). The high protein organic waste material is fed into a combustion chamber and separated during combustion such as by spraying of the high protein organic waste material within the combustion chamber. Temperature and combustion reactions within the combustion chamber may be controlled by injection of steam within the combustion chamber.

A fuel and nanodiamond mixture includes a fuel for combustion and a fuel additive in the form of nanodiamonds mixed into the fuel to be dispersed throughout the fuel.

Coal fines are processed by flotation separation to separate coal particles from ash-forming mineral content particles. Coal fines are mixed water under high shear mixing conditions to form an aqueous slurry of coal fines containing between 15 wt. % and 55 wt. % coal fines. The aqueous slurry is introduced into a coal flotation cell to separate coal particles from ash-forming mineral content particles by flotation separation, wherein the coal fines have a particle size less than 100 m, and more preferably less than 50 m. Bubbles are generated in the coal flotation cell having a bubble size and bubble quantity selected to float the coal particles and to form a coal-froth containing at least 15 wt. % solid particles. The solid particles include coal particles and ash-forming mineral content particles. The coal-froth is collected for further processing.

Colloidal coal-in-water slurries having nano-particles of coal creating a pseudo-fluid. The colloidal coal-in-water slurry generally includes from about fifty to about seventy two weight percent of coal, with about 20 to about 80 percent of the coal having a particle size of about one micron or less with a mode particle size of about 250 nanometers. The coal-in-water slurry can also include a surfactant system containing one surfactant or mixtures of two or more surfactants, or mixtures of one or more surfactants and an inorganic or organic salt. The coal-in-water slurry can be used in low NOx burner applications as the main fuel and/or the reburn fuel, in gasification processes as the input fuel either alone, or in combination with organic materials, in gas turbine applications, and in diesel engine applications.

The invention relates to a process for firing an industrial furnace, in particular for electricity generation, wherein coal or cokes together with a secondary fuel comprising cellulose and plastic, in the form of pellets of a size larger than about 3 mm thickness, and having a caloric value of about 16 GJ/ton or more is ground to a powder wherein about 95 wt % or more has a particle size smaller than 2 mm and wherein the d50 of the particle size distribution is between about 5 and about 100 m, wherein the powder is injected in the flame of the furnace. In this process the grinding is performed in a roller mill or ball mill, and the amount of pellets used together with the coals preferably is about 3 wt % or more, relative to the coal.

Inhibiting gas hydrate formation while transporting hydrocarbon fluids may include providing a kinetic gas hydrate inhibitor, adding the kinetic gas hydrate inhibitor to a fluid capable of producing gas hydrates, and transporting the fluid that comprises the kinetic gas hydrate inhibitor. Generally a kinetic gas hydrate inhibitor may include a heterocyclic compound comprising nitrogen, e.g., poly(vinyl pyrrolidone).

A process of making a fuel product from spent grain from a beer brewing process. In the brewing process, the grain is pulverized to a particle size whose mean particle size is approximately 0.25 mm to 0.6 mm with less than 1% greater than 2 mm. After the brewing sugars are extracted from the grain, the spent grain is pressed against a filter to reduce moisture below sixty-five percent (65%), and then the grain is dried to further reduce its moisture to less than ten percent (10%). The dried spent grain, after the aforementioned processing, is fed into a combustion chamber for a steam boiler that is used for beer brewing, and the spent grain is separated during combustion by agitation such as spraying of the grain in the combustion chamber.

The present invention is directed to vapor suppression of liquids through disposing a layer of surfactant onto the surfaces of liquids for surfactants having a density greater than the liquid and regardless of surface tension spreadability issues, and compositions comprising the surfactants in aerosolized form.

A method for producing a briquetted solid fuel includes pulverizing a low-rank coal. The pulverized low-rank coal is mixed with a solvent oil to give a slurry. The slurry is heated and dewatered to give a dewatered slurry. The solvent oil is separated from the dewatered slurry to give a cake. The cake is heated to further separate the solvent oil from the cake to thereby give a refined coal in powder form. The refined coal is combined with a property-controlling coal in powder form having, as properties, a loose bulk density of 0.6 kg/L or more and an angle of repose of 40 or less, to give a briquetting feedstock containing the property-controlling coal in an amount of 5 to 70 mass percent based on the total mass of the briquetting feedstock. The briquetting feedstock is briquetted under pressure to give the briquetted solid fuel in briquette form.