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slurries
Viscosity and density of coal-recycle solvent slurries for a wide range of shear rates have been measured at
temperatures between 373 and 653 K, at high pressures. The results indicated that solvent-induced swelling
produces an increase in the viscosity of the slurries before extensive coal extraction takes place, and that
agglomeration, due both to bridge formation by colloidal materials and interparticle re-linkage occurring
above 523 K, leads to an increase in viscosity and non-Newtonian behaviour.
A knowledge of physical properties, such as the viscosity, pressures. The system consists essentially of a 190ml
density and thermal conductivity of slurries of coal and autoclave, a slurry pump, a preheater, interchangeable
various solvents under process conditions, is essential for capillary tubes, and a differential pressure transducer for
good equipment design for coal liquefaction processes. measuring the pressure drop across the capillary. The
For example, viscosity data are very important because pressure vessel was fitted with a magnetic stirrer which
they are used in the calculation of the pressure drop, heat- maintained the coal-solvent mixture in suspension. The
transfer rate, holdup and flow-pattern. On heating, coal slurry pump had a stainless steel barrel, the bottom of
dissolution and chemical reactions occur resulting in which has been connected to a pipeline.
significant changes in the properties of slurries. There is, Slurries flowing out of the barrel were pushed through
however, little information available on the rheological the preheater and the capillary tube at preselected
properties of coal-solvent slurries, particularly at high constant rates by a plunger which was connected with a
temperatures and pressures. pulse motor through a ball screw. Apparent shear rates
Droege et al. measured viscosities of coal-solvent could be varied from 54.2 to 1084 s-l by the changing
slurries at high temperatures and pressures using a pulse rate with a programmablecontroller. Two taps were
reciprocating concentric-cylinder viscometer and applied connected with the capillary tube at each end for
the Bingham plastic model to analyse the data. They measuring the pressure drop by means of a differential
observed that thickening occurring at 500-550 K causes pressure transducer. The flow behaviour of all samples
high plastic viscosities and high yield stresses. Thurgood was investigated using a capillary, 3.09 mm diam. and
et ~1.~ used a capillary-tube viscometer to study 604 mm length. The internal diameter of the capillary was
rheological properties of coal-solvent slurries under calculated from measurement of the external diameter,
process conditions and reported that the slurry gradually length and density of stainless steel. The autoclave was
becomes pseudoplastic as the temperature is increased surrounded by an electric furnace and the slurry was kept
from 400 to 700 K. Okutani et ~1.~ investigated the at the constant temperature by thermostatic control. Two
viscosity of coal paste using a rotational viscometer and chromel-alumel thermocouples inserted into both ends of
found a peak in the viscosity near 573 K for high-rank the capillary tube accurately indicated the inlet and outlet
bituminous coal slurries. Summarizing some data on slurry temperatures.
viscosity measured at several pilot plants Shah4 stated Slurries were loaded in the autoclave and heated to a
that both swelling and agglomeration cause an increase in designated temperature with stirring. The pressure within
viscosity and non-Newtonian pseudoplastic behaviour. the autoclave was raised to 7.5 MPa with nitrogen. The
The object of this paper is to present the rheological slurry was moved from the autoclave to the barrel of the
data for slurries of coal and recycle solvent obtained from slurry pump by opening a coupling valve and pulling the
a liquefaction plant, and to explain the effect of plunger. After opening valve (2) and shutting valve (l), the
temperature and the type of coal on flow behaviour. The slurry was mechanically driven through the capillary by
viscosity changes with temperature were attributed to the the plunger at a constant rate, and returned to the
structural change occurring in the coal suspensions. autoclave. The pressure drop across the capillary tube and
slurry temperatures at both the inlet and outlet were
EXPERIMENTAL recorded. This procedure was repeated at different slurry
flow rates, maintaining the same temperature. Other
Apparatus and procedure series of experimental runs were further conducted at
The experimental apparatus, shown in Figure 1, was other temperatures. The viscosity of the solvent was
designed to measure both rheological properties and measured in the same way using a 0.766 mm diam.
densities ofcoalsolvent slurries at high temperatures and capillary.
00 16-2361/86/07090644$3.00
9 1986 Butterworth & Co. (Publishers) Ltd.
906 FUEL, 1986, Vol 65, July
Rheological behaviour of coal-solvent slurries: A. Tsutsumi and K. Yoshida
DISCUSSION
When the temperature rises above 523 K, the mobile
phase content increases and molecular fragments
detached from the macromolecular coal network are
progressively dispersed into solvent*. Although much
1O'L
1
lo'=
1.5 2.0 2.5 30
l/T (@K-')
Figure 2 Viscosity of recycle solvent measured r?
0 373K
E
0 423K
z
A 473K
P A 523 K
T
1O0r q 553 K
W
n 573 K
V 623 K
7
E lOOO-
,
Figure 4 Rheograms for 33.3 wt% Horonai coal-solvent slurries. n 1,
x
r after 0 h; W2, after 0.5 h; vl, after 0 h; 772, after 3 h
2
$ 900-
1
o 373K
l 423K R
A 473K
A 523K
800- 0 553K
n 593K
v 623K
v 653K
slurries did not increase between 423 and 473 K, and there 10-2 10-l loo 1(
was no viscosity peak at about 573 K. However, Figure 5 po?(N.rn-')
shows an increase in the relatively viscosity of Taiheiyo- Figure 5 Rheograms for 40 wt% Taiheiyo coal-solvent slurries
CONCLUSIONS
It was found that the viscosity of Horonai coal-recycle
solvent slurries increased initially with temperature and
caused gelation above 523 K, leading to non-Newtonian
behaviour and a peak in the viscosity at z 573 K. The
300 400 500 600 700
viscosity of Taiheiyo-coal slurry was not found to increase
Temperature (K 1
between 423 and 473 K. However, by plotting the relation
Figure 6 Variation of apparent viscosity with temperature
(i = 542 s )_A, Recycle solvent; O,O, 33.3 wtp(, Horonai coal-solvent between T and poj, it was found that the slurries of both
slurry; 0. n . 40 wt% Taiheiyo coal-solvent slurry. Open and solid coals have very similar rheograms. It was considered that
symbols show heating and cooling process. respectively the increase in viscosity between 423 and 473 K is
attributable to solvent-induced swelling while above
of the coal extract forms a true solution, some may 523 K it is due to the agglomeration of coal particles by
aggregate to form high molecular weight colloidal liquid bridging with colloidal materials produced or by
material. interaction of mobile units on the surface of coal particles.
Agglomerates of coal particles are considered to be
formed by bridging of colloidal materials produced or
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
by interparticle re-linkage between mobile units due to
hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces. As the The authors wish to thank the New Energy Development
solvent is trapped in agglomerates this reduces the Organization (NEDO) for the kind supply of recycle
effective volume concentration and the apparent viscosity solvent used in this study.
of the slurry increases. The increase of viscosity above
523 K (Figure 6) can probably be attributed to this
phenomenon. The reason that the slurry behaves in anon- REFERENCES
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Mechanics, submitted for publication
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