Abstract: Carbon bodies to be graphitized are clamped together in a horizontal train, n which adjacent end faces of said bodies adjoin each other, and are heated by a flow of electric current in a graphitizing zone and subsequently cooled in a cooling zone. Individual carbon bodies are added to the train at the entrance of the graphitizing furnace and individual carbon bodies which have been graphitized are removed from the train at the exit of the furnace. To ensure that the train will desirably be held to be self-supporting, adjacent carbon bodies are interconnected at adjoining end faces by axial plugs.

Abstract: Carbon bodies to be graphitized are clamped together in a horizontal train, n which adjacent end faces of said bodies adjoin each other, and are heated by a flow of electric current in a graphitizing zone and subsequently cooled in a cooling zone. Individual carbon bodies are added to the train at the entrance of the graphitizing furnace and individual carbon bodies which have been graphitized are removed from the train at the exit of the furnace. To ensure a desirable handling of the train in the furnace, the train being moved through the graphitizing furnace is moved at least in a portion of the cooling zone through a bed of carbonaceous bulk material and outside said bed of bulk material is moved in said furnace through a protective gas atmosphere and the train is held to be self-supporting at least in the graphitizing zone between the furnace electrodes.