Abstract: After a polyethylene glycol purification procedure, virus particles, viral components and virus associated particles having concanavalin A binding sites are further purified by subjecting such particles or components to affinity chromatography utilizing insoluble concanavalin A as a chromatography adsorbent and an eluant capable of interacting with concanavalin A to thereby inhibit the binding of the virus particles or components to the insoluble concanavalin A. Specifically, the insoluble concanavalin A may be concanavalin A linked to agarose beads and the eluant may be methyl-.alpha.-D-mannopyranoside. Specifically, these procedures may be utilized to purify hepatitis B antigen (HB Ag) particles.

Abstract: Fine-grained coke is produced by the degasification of fine-grained coal by a process which includes the following steps:A. mixing the coal to be degasified with recirculated, heated, fine-grained coke in a mixing zone;B. withdrawing gases and vapors produced by degasification from the top portion of an intermediate zone located below the mixing zone and subjecting same to a mechanical dust collection followed by fractional condensation;C. recovering a dust-containing, highboiling tar fraction and recycling same to the mixing zone;D. mixing said tar fraction with recirculated hot coke prior to mixing with coal to be degasified; andE. completely cracking said tar fraction by matching the temperature at which the tar fraction is separated, the rate at which the tar fraction is recycled, and the temperature and quantity of the recirculated hot coke.