Nano-dispersions of carbonaceous material in water as the basis of fuel related technologies and methods of making same

Abstract

Colloidal carbonaceous material-in-water slurries having nano-particles of carbonaceous material creating a pseudo-fluid. The colloidal carbonaceous material-in-water slurry generally includes from about fifty to about seventy two weight percent of carbonaceous material, with about 20 to about 80 percent of the carbonaceous material having a particle size of about one micron or less with a mode particle size of about 250 nanometers. The carbonaceous material-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 carbonaceous material-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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A colloidal slurry of asphaltite in water, the slurry comprising:
 a colloidal fraction of asphaltite particles dispersed in water, the asphaltite particles comprising about 50 to about 80 weight percent of the slurry, the water comprising about 20 to about 50 weight percent of the slurry, wherein at least ten percent of the asphaltite particles have a particle size of about one micron or less.   
     
     
         2 . The slurry of  claim 1 , wherein the colloidal fraction of asphaltite particles comprises a first plurality of asphaltite particles having a particle size of about 100 nm to about 1 micron with an average particle size of about 200 nm to about 300 nm, and a second plurality of particles having a particle size greater than one micron to about 10 microns. 
     
     
         3 . The slurry of  claim 2 , wherein the first plurality of asphaltite particles of the colloidal fraction comprises about 20 percent to about 80 percent of the asphaltite particles in the slurry. 
     
     
         4 . The slurry according to  claim 1 , wherein the asphaltite particles comprise about 60 weight percent to about 70 weight percent of the slurry, and the water comprises about 30 weight percent to about 40 weight percent of the slurry. 
     
     
         5 . The slurry according to  claim 1 , the slurry further comprising at least one surfactant system selected from the group consisting of a nonionic surfactant, an ionic surfactant, an inorganic salt, an organic salt, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The slurry according to  claim 5 , wherein the at least one surfactant system is present in the slurry in the amount of about 500 to about 3000 parts per million. 
     
     
         7 . The slurry according to  claim 1 , the slurry further comprising a large fraction of carbonaceous material particles having a size of about 150 μm to about 400 μm. 
     
     
         8 . The slurry according to  claim 7 , wherein a size ratio of the large fraction of carbonaceous material particles to the colloidal fraction of asphaltite particles is greater than 100. 
     
     
         9 . The slurry according to  claim 8 , wherein the colloidal fraction of asphaltite particles comprise about 58 weight percent to about 62 weight percent of the slurry, and the colloidal fraction of asphaltite particles and the large fraction of carbonaceous material particles comprise about 68 weight percent to about 72 weight percent of the slurry. 
     
     
         10 . The slurry according to  claim 7 , wherein the large fraction of carbonaceous material particles comprise asphaltite. 
     
     
         11 . The according to  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the water is replaced with a volatile component, the volatile component selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol, glycerol or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The slurry according to  claim 7 , wherein a mass fraction of the large fraction of carbonaceous material particles is about 25 percent to about 35 percent of the total coal in the slurry. 
     
     
         13 . The slurry according to  claim 7 , wherein the large fraction of carbonaceous material particles is suspended in the colloidal fraction of asphaltite particles. 
     
     
         14 . The slurry according to  claim 1 , wherein the slurry has a viscosity at 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the range of about 350 centipoise to about 1000 centipoise. 
     
     
         15 . The slurry according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second fraction of asphaltite particles having a size less than 100 microns and greater than 10 microns. 
     
     
         16 . The slurry according to  claim 2 , wherein the second plurality of asphaltite particles has an average particle size of greater than 1 micron to about 2 microns. 
     
     
         17 . The slurry according to  claim 2 , wherein the second plurality of asphaltite partices in the colloidal fraction has a bimodal size. 
     
     
         18 . The slurry according to  claim 1 , further comprising a nano-emulsion of an organic liquid or oil. 
     
     
         19 . The slurry according to  claim 1 , wherein the asphaltite particles are selected from the group consisting of gilsonite, grahamite, glance pitch, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         20 . A slurry of asphaltite-in-water comprising:
 a large fraction of asphaltite particles having a size of about 150 microns to about 400 microns suspended in a colloidal fraction of a nano-dispersion of asphaltite in water, the nano-dispersion of asphaltite in water having a plurality of nano-sized asphaltite particles having a size of about less than 1 micron, and a plurality of micronized asphaltite particles,   
       wherein between about 30 percent to about 50 percent of the plurality of micronized asphaltite particles have a size of about 1 micron to about 4 microns, and
 wherein the slurry is substantially free of sulfur.