AbstractA series of experiments were made on the thermal separation of various mixtures of coal in oil using a fluidized bed reactor. The majority of experiments were carried out on a mixture of 30% w/w Edmonton coal in 70% w/w Leduc crude oil in a temperature range of 700–900°F. The products of the reaction were a char, an oil and a gas. At temperatures above 700°F. the solid particles became dry and free‐flowing; no agglomeration or channelling in the bed was apparent. An increase in reactor temperature in the 700–900°F. range decreased the amount of residual oil on the char from about 2% to 0.1% at the same time the heating value of the char rose from 11,900 to 12,600 Btu/lb. Carbon residue of the product oil was substantially less than that of the original oil, the reduction being about 50% in the case of Leduc oil and 75% for Lloydmin