摘要 |
A shattered hydrocarbonaceous product comprising a mixture of discrete comminuted hydrocarbonaceous particles having a volumetric mean particle size equivalent to less than about 5 microns in diameter separate from or in admixture with discrete inorganic and mineral particles having a mean particle size substantially the same as in the unshattered original solid is disclosed. The shattered product is produced by the explosive comminution of a slurry of fluid permeable hydrocarbonaceous solid which was heated and pressurized to supercritical conditions and then permitted to suddenly expand. The product hydrocarbonaceous fraction is substantially scissioned from the mineral fraction and has a lower density, greater solvent solubility and different reactivity to oxygen than does the feed solid. This hydrocarbonaceous fraction also includes a subfraction of particles having a particle size, by volume distribution, of less than about 2 microns in diameter which contain substantially no sulfur compounds. In addition, the product hydrocarbonaceous fraction has a solubility in methanol at least about twice that of a product produced by explosive comminution at sub-critical conditions.
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