Process for treating solid carbonaceous fossil fuels and the products thus prepared

Abstract From the Canadian patent

Solid carbonaceous fossil fuels such as coal lignite, and peat are treated with an aqueous medium containing a novel catalyst to remove undesirable constituents and produce valuable products. The catalyst is prepared by steps including admixing a water soluble alkali metal silicate with an aqueous medium containing carefully controlled amounts of dissolved water soluble substances which are sources of calcium ion and magnesium ion, reacting the same to produce an aqueous colloidal suspension of the reaction product admixing a micelle-forming surfactant with the aqueous medium and agitating the aqueous medium containing the colloidal particles and surfactant to form catalyst-containing …