Processing carbonaceous materials

摘要

A method of processing a carbonaceous material in the form of carbonaceous fines is provided in which the carbonaceous material is treated with micro-algae to adsorb the micro-algae onto the carbonaceous material followed by heating in a heat activating step. Such heating is effected to a temperature within the range of from that at which water starts evaporating to a temperature at which volatile components of the carbonaceous material start to volatilize. The heating is continued for a duration selected to allow chemical interaction between the micro- algae and the carbonaceous material so as to alter the chemical structure of the carbonaceous material. The carbonaceous material microalgae are preferably in the form of substantially intact cells that are still in a photosynthetically active state. Dry carbonaceous materials may be mixed with micro-algae slurry in water, or micro-algae may be added to carbonaceous material already present in water.