Abstract: Spraying of coal in an open top hopper car with an aqueous composition containing at least about 2.5% of a binder material consisting of solid material in an aqueous suspension of an asphalt emulsion or a black liquor lignin product and containing 0.1 to 2.0% of water soluble ethoxylated alkyl phenol or sulfo succinate wetting agent results in the formation of a crust layer which provides protection against loss of coal due to wind action during rapid movement of the car.

Abstract: The flow of particulate solids through a screw conveyor or a screw feeder is monitored by passing radiant energy from a source in a generally vertical path into a bed of the solids flowing through the conveyor, receiving by a detector radiation that is not absorbed or scattered by the solids or the conveyor, and transmitting amplified electrical signals from the detector to a recorder. The detector extends parallel to the shaft of the conveyor screw for at least about one pitch length of the screw. The path of radiation from the source to the detector follows a plane that lies between the shaft and the conveyor casing on the lift side of the screw. Cyclic variations in radiation signals as tapered pitch-length segments of material move through the conveyor are averaged mechanically.

Abstract: Absorption of treatment composition into a surface layer of particulate material in a moving bed is substantially increased by spraying a major portion of the composition through a first group of nozzles and a minor portion of the composition through a second group of nozzles, the nozzles being attached to the top of a common transverse spray header which is oscillated across the moving bed. The first group of nozzles directs a plurality of substantially parallel vertical jets onto the surface of the moving bed to form therein, on combined motion of the bed and spray header, a zigzag pattern of trenches. The treatment composition is retained in these trenches as it is absorbed by adjoining particulate material. Loss of treatment composition due to run-off over a sloping or insufficiently wetted surface is avoided.