780. ------. [GAUCHER L. P.] (The Texas Co.). Production of Carbon Monoxide and Other Gases From Carbonaceous Materials. United States Patent 2,558,746. July 3, 1951: appl. filed Feb. 10, 1948, Serial No. 7,446; 5 claims (Cl. 48-206).

Patent Abstracts

780. ------. [GAUCHER L. P.] (The Texas Co.). Production of Carbon Monoxide and Other Gases From Carbonaceous Materials. United States Patent 2,558,746. July 3, 1951: appl. filed Feb. 10, 1948, Serial No. 7,446; 5 claims (Cl. 48-206).

Coal, ground to small size, surface dried so that there is no tendency for the powder to agglomerate, but moisture remains in the pore space within the coal particle itself. The coal is fed into the generator into intimate contact with concentrated free O₂. The dry exterior surface of the coal particle reacts violently with the gas, rapidly releasing heat, which in turn heats the interior of the particle so rapidly that is disintergrates or explodes because of the expansion of steam generated in the pores. This further reduces the size of the particles. The resulting powdered coal then reacts with additional O₂ to heat the particle individually to the reaction temperature. Superatmospheric pressure is preferably used. The heated powdered coal and resulting gases produced by oxidation pass directly to an endothermic zone to which preheated steam is supplied, where the reactions for CO and H₂ production take place. 2 United States patents. 1 foreign patent, and 1 literature ref. cited.

See abs. 591, 592, 593.