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Abstract

An aqueous slurry of a solid fuel and a process for producing said slurry are described. The aqueous slurry consists of a highly concentrated slurry of a pulverized, carbonaceous material having a particle size of at most 0.5 mm, and 0.02-2% by weight of at least one additive. The solids content of the slurry is 65-90% by weight, preferably 70-80% by weight. The slurry is characterized in that the additive includes a water-soluble surface active compound which is an ethylene oxide adduct having the following formula: RO(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.n H wherein R is an aliphatic or acyl group with 10 to 24 carbon atoms or a substituted aryl group with 12-54 carbon atoms; and n is at least 40 but less than 100; or n is 40-200 in which latter case the ratio of ethylene oxide units to the number of carbon atoms in the group R is 3.5-6.0 when R is an aliphatic or acyl group and 3.0-5.5 when R is a substituted aryl group. By adding the ethylene oxide adduct after wet milling and dewatering of the carbonaceous material, an aqueous slurry is obtained which is stable, i.e. it does not separate during transport and storage, as well as low-viscous, i.e. pumpable at a high solids content. In addition to the specific ethylene oxide adduct which preferably is added in a concentration of 0.05-0.8% by weight, other conventional additives, such as stabilizers, antifoaming agents, pH-modifying additives and antimicrobial agents may be added.

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