Synthetic fuel production method

Abstract

A method of producing a synthetic fuel by treating bituminous coal fines with a tall-oil mix that may include enhancer additives that either increase the chemical change capability of the tall-oil mix or reduce the cost of the tall-oil mix while maintaining the chemical change rate, and/or an additive of tar decanter sludge and light cycle oil. Enhancers include poly vinyl acetate (PVA) and/or ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA), glycol, lignosulfonate, beet sugar bottoms, corn bottoms, brewery bottoms, vegetable tall oil, vegetable oil, and/or spent frying oil. The tall-oil mix is reacted with the coal, resulting in a cost effective and industry-usable source of synthetic fuel. When the enhanced tall-oil mix is reacted with bituminous metallurgical coal, the product is a synthetic fuel.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of producing a synthetic fuel, said method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) preparing an enhanced tall-oil mix comprising a tall-oil-mix and a chemical change enhancer; and    (b) reacting said enhanced tall-oil mix with coal fines so as to obtain said synthetic fuel.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said enhanced tall-oil-mix includes approximately 10% of said chemical-change enhancer.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said chemical-change enhancer includes one or more of materials from a group consisting of PVA, EVA, urea, glycol, lignosulfonate, beet sugar bottoms, molasses, corn bottoms, brewery bottoms, vegetable tall oil, vegetable oil, and spent frying oil.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein if said chemical-change enhancer is vegetable oil or spent frying oil, said tall-oil-mix includes approximately 25% of said chemical-change enhancer.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said coal fines are bituminous coal fines.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said preparing said enhanced tall-oil-mix of said step (a) is performed prior to said step (b).  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said preparing said enhanced tall-oil-mix of said step (a) occurs simultaneous with said step (b).  
     
     
         8 . A synthetic fuel produced by the method of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         9 . The synthetic fuel of  claim 8 , wherein said coal fines are metallurgical bituminous coal fines.  
     
     
         10 . A method of producing a synthetic fuel, said method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) combining a tall-oil mix with a caustic solution and water to form a combination tall-oil mix;    (b) combining said combination tall-oil mix with tar decanter sludge to form a TDS-tall-oil mix; and    (c) reacting said TDS-tall-oil mix with coal fines so as to obtain said synthetic fuel.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said coal fines are bituminous metallurgical coal fines.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said step (a) includes the step of adding a chemical change enhancer to said tall-oil mix to obtain an enhanced-TDS-tall-oil mix in said step (b), and said step (c) includes reacting said enhanced-TDS-tall-oil mix with said coal fines.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said chemical-change enhancer includes one or more of materials form a group consisting of PVA, EVA, urea, glycol, lignosulfonate, beet sugar bottoms, molasses, corn bottoms, brewery bottoms, vegetable tall oil, vegetable oil, and spent frying oil.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein a thinning agent is added to said enhanced-TDS-tall-oil mix.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said thinning agent is light cycle oil.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein approximately 0.5% to approximately 0.9% of said synthetic fuel is said enhanced-TDS-tall-oil mix.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein approximately 0.64% of said synthetic fuel is said enhanced-TDS-tall-oil mix.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said approximately 0.64% of said enhanced-TDS-tall-oil mix is approximately 0.29% tar decanter sludge and a thinning agent and approximately 0.35% of said combination tall-oil mix.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said 0.35% of said combination tall-oil mix comprises approximately 28% tall oil mix, approximately 55% chemical-change enhancer, approximately 8% of a 20% caustic solution, and approximately 9% water.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said enhanced-TDS-tall-oil mix includes at least approximately 15% of said tall-oil-mix.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising the step of: 
 (d) heating said tar decanter sludge prior to forming said TDS-tall-oil mix.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising the step of: 
 (d) grinding said TDS-tall-oil mix prior to said step (c).    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising the step of: 
 (e) recirculating said TDS-tall-oil mix through said step (d) prior to said step (b).    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising the step of: 
 (d) heating said tar decanter sludge and said thinning agent prior to forming said TDS-tall-oil mix.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising the step of: 
 (e) grinding said TDS-tall-oil mix prior to said step (c).    
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising the step of: 
 (f) recirculating said TDS-tall-oil mix through said step (d) prior to said step (c).    
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising the step of: 
 (d) heating said TDS-tall-oil-mix to a temperature within a range of approximately 100 to approximately 135 degrees F. after said step (b).    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein said TDS-tall-oil mix is heated to approximately 123 degrees F.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising the step of: 
 (d) heating said combination tall-oil-mix prior to said step (b).    
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein said combination tall-oil-mix is heated to approximately 100 degrees F.  
     
     
         31 . A synthetic fuel produced by the method of  claim 10 .  
     
     
         32 . A synthetic fuel comprising: 
 coal fines; and    a chemical change agent comprising a tall-oil mix, a caustic solution and water, and tar decanter sludge (TDS);    wherein said chemical change agent and said coal fines are combined and processed so as to maximize contact between said mix and said raw coal.    
     
     
         33 . The synthetic fuel of  claim 32 , wherein said chemical change agent further comprises a thinning agent.  
     
     
         34 . The synthetic fuel of  claim 33 , wherein said thinning agent is light cycle oil.  
     
     
         35 . The synthetic fuel of  claim 31 , wherein said chemical change agent further comprises an enhancer.  
     
     
         36 . The synthetic fuel of  claim 35 , wherein said enhancer includes one or more of materials from a group consisting of PVA, EVA, urea, glycol, lignosulfonate, beet sugar bottoms, molasses, corn bottoms, brewery bottoms, vegetable tall oil, vegetable oil, and spent frying oil.  
     
     
         37 . The synthetic fuel of  claim 32 , wherein said coal fines are metallurgical bituminous coal fines.  
     
     
         38 . A synthetic fuel comprising coal fines and an enhanced-tall-oil-mix, wherein said enhanced-tall-oil-mix comprises a tall-oil mix and a chemical-change enhancer, wherein said coal fines are treated with said enhanced-tall-oil-mix so as to maximize contact between said coal fines and said enhanced-tall-oil-mix.  
     
     
         39 . The synthetic fuel of  claim 38 , wherein said enhanced-tall-oil-mix comprises approximately 90% tall-oil-mix and 10% chemical-change enhancer.  
     
     
         40 . The synthetic fuel of  claim 38 , wherein said chemical-change enhancer includes one or more of materials from a group consisting of PVA, EVA, urea, glycol, lignosulfonate, beet sugar bottoms, molasses, corn bottoms, brewery bottoms, vegetable tall oil, vegetable oil, and spent frying oil.  
     
     
         41 . The synthetic fuel of  claim 40 , wherein if said chemical-change enhancer is vegetable oil or spent frying oil, said tall-oil-mix includes approximately 25% of said chemical-change enhancer.  
     
     
         42 . The synthetic fuel of  claim 38 , wherein said coal fines are metallurgical bituminous coal fines.