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Abstract

PURPOSE: Finely pulverized coal is combined with a solvent and an iron catalyst and liquefied under elevated temerature and pressure, then the liquid faction is collected under reduced pressure and the residue is introduced in a magnetic field to separate the catalyst slurry for recovery, then the catalyst is reused, whereby coal is inexpensively liquefied with small-size equipment.

CONSTITUTION: Coal 1 is fed to the pretreatment stage 2 where it is dewatered and crushed, then combined with a solvent 3, a slurry of iron catalyst 20 and a make-up catalyst 19 into a slurry at the slurry stage 5. The resultant slurry is passed through the preheating deaeration stage 6 and the pressurizing stage 8 and sent to the reactor in the liquefaction stage 10 where hydrogen 9 is suplied to effect liquefaction under high pressure and temperature. Then, the product passes through the gas-liquid separation stage under elevated pressure 11, further the pressure reduction stage 13 and comes to the catalyst separation stage 21 where a magnet 33 is provided to separate the catalyst slurry 22, which is fed to the slurry stage 5. Further, the remaining is sent to the separation and purification stage 15 where solid-liquid separation and fractional distillation are effected to take out the residue 17, the circulated solvent 16 and the liquefied oil.