A method for processing lignocellulose materials comprising the steps of hydrothermal treatment of the material with saturated or superheated steam in a hydrothermal pressure vessel, wherein the steam is provided by means of a steam boiler. The treatment is performed at a pressure of 5-30 bars, and at a temperature of 160-240° C. for a duration of 1-20 minutes. The method further comprises discharging hydrothermally treated lignocellulose material and steam from the pressure vessel by means of rapid pressure reduction, separating the steam and vapours released from the lignocellulose material, and burning the vapours together with additional fuel and combustion air in the furnace of said steam boiler. Furthermore, a corresponding system is provided.

A process for the production of a fractionated product is disclosed, comprising providing a solid hydrocarbonaceous material, wherein the material is in particulate form, and wherein at least about 90% by volume (% v) of the particles are no greater than about 500 μm in diameter. The solid hydrocarbonaceous material is combined with an unrefined liquid hydrocarbonaceous material, such as crude oil, in order to create a combined solid-liquid blend; and the combined solid-liquid blend is subjected to fractionation in order to generate one or more fractionation products. Typically the solid hydrocarbonaceous material comprises coal, optionally the coal is ultrafine coal, and suitably the coal is comprised of microfine coal. The coal may be dewatered and deashed prior to combination with unrefined liquid hydrocarbonaceous material. Compositions and products of the process are further provided.

A process and apparatus for removing hydrogen sulphide from a gas is disclosed. The process comprises the steps of: providing a gas comprising hydrogen sulphide; supplying oxygen for the process if the gas does not comprise oxygen, or does not comprise sufficient oxygen for converting hydrogen sulphide to elementary sulphur; leading the mixture of gas and, if supplied, oxygen to a tank comprising i) a foam forming liquid, such as a scrubber liquid and ii) a foam layer made from said foam forming liquid on the top of the foam forming liquid where the hydrogen sulphide in the gas is oxidized to elementary sulphur to form a cleaned gas removed from hydrogen sulphide.

A process of aggregating coal fines in a coal flotation concentrate includes dewatering the coal flotation concentrate to reduce moisture content and provide a dewatered flotation concentrate, mixing the dewatered flotation concentrate with a binder to provide a mixture, compacting the mixture under pressure to provide a green body of aggregated coal fines, having a sufficient strength for handling utilizing typical commercial methods of conveying and shipping.

A process for cleaning and dewatering hydrophobic particulate materials is presented. The process is performed in in two steps: 1) agglomeration of the hydrophobic particles in a first hydrophobic liquid/aqueous mixture; followed by 2) dispersion of the agglomerates in a second hydrophobic liquid to release the water trapped within the agglomerates along with the entrained hydrophilic particles.

The coal-derived solid hydrocarbon particles are discrete particles of coal-derived carbonaceous matter having a particle size less than about 10 μm that are substantially free of inherent or entrained mineral matter. The particles of have an average particle size in the range from 1 μm to 8 μm. The particles of coal-derived carbonaceous matter are milled to a size approximately the same as a size of coal-derived mineral matter inherent in the coal source to release inherent coal-derived mineral matter particles such that the particles of carbonaceous matter and the particles of mineral matter are discrete and separable solid particles. Following separation, less than 1.5 wt. % discrete coal-derived mineral matter particles are associated with the discrete particles of coal-derived carbonaceous matter. Particles of coal-derived solid hydrocarbon matter are blended with a gaseous or liquid hydrocarbon fuel to form a two-phase hydrocarbon fuel feedstock.

A method for removing ash from a solid carbon material: Reaction conditions are mild, and ash may be removed more effectively. The ash removing method comprises: S1) mixing an alkaline sub-molten salt medium and a solid carbonaceous material to be treated, heating so that alkali and ash in the solid carbonaceous material to be treated react in the alkaline sub-molten salt medium, and performing solid-liquid separation on a mixed slurry resulting from the reaction to obtain a first solid product and an alkali treatment solution, wherein in the alkaline sub-molten salt medium, the mass fraction of the alkali is greater than or equal to 50%; S2) using an acid solution to perform acid cleaning treatment on the first solid product, and performing solid-liquid separation again to obtain a second solid product and an acid cleaning solution.

Methods for separation of oxygenates or other chemical components from fuels using chemical processes and separations including, but not limited to, onboard applications in vehicles. These separations may take place using a variety of materials and substances whereby a target material of interest is captured, held, and then released at a desired location and under desired conditions. In one set of experiments we demonstrated an enhancement in the separation of diaromatics by >38 times over gasoline and aromatics by >3.5 times over gasoline. This would give an advantage to reducing cold-start emissions, or emissions during transient conditions, in either gasoline or diesel.

A process for the production of a fractionated product is disclosed, comprising providing a solid hydrocarbonaceous material, wherein the material is in particulate form, and wherein at least about 90% by volumic (% v) of the particles arc no greater than about 500 μm in diameter. The solid hydrocarbonaceous material is combined with an unrefined liquid hydrocarbonaceous material, such as crude oil, in order to create a combined solid-liquid blend; and the combined solid-liquid blend is subjected to fractionation in order to generate one or more fractionation products. Typically the solid hydrocarbonaceous material comprises coal, optionally the coal is ultrafine coal, and suitably the coal is comprised of microfine coal. The coal may be dewatered and deashed prior to combination with unrefined liquid hydrocarbonaceous material. Compositions and products of the process are further provided.

An oxidation-reduction desulfurization system includes a reactor vessel with sour gas inlet at the bottom and a gas outlet at the top. A primary stage phase separator includes a vertically-oriented pipe with an inlet located inside the reactor vessel. The ratio of the reactor vessel diameter to the pipe inlet diameter is in a range of 2:1 to 5:1. Surface foam and non-gaseous multi-phase mixture including emulsion flow into a partially gas-filled upper section of the vertically-oriented pipe and freefall to a lower level, thereby facilitating mechanical breaking of the foam and the emulsion. A secondary stage phase separator connected to the gas outlet separates non-gaseous surge from sweet gas. Valves and a controller automatically maintain target levels of the non-gaseous multi-phase mixture and non-gaseous surge.