Abstract: The invention relates to a method of preparing material for hot briquetting by pyrolytic decomposition of bituminous coal in mixture with thermally widely stable substances at a temperature of 450.degree. to 530.degree. C., and to a suitable apparatus for carrying out this method. In a travelling bed reactor, the briquetting material is exposed to the pyrolytic decomposition of the bituminous coal component, and is held in continuous mixing and kneading motion. For this purpose, the briquetting material is moved initially in a rotational mixing and kneading motion predominantly at levels parallel to the plane of the axes of rollers of the briquetting press, during which motion it migrates downwardly by gravity at an average speed of less than 3 centimeters per second, whereupon, at the end of this motion, it is uniformly distributed by a rotational motion over the entire width of the rollers.

Abstract: A method of producing hot briquettes in a plurality of stages comprises heating inert components which do not soften by direct heat exchange with hot carrier gases which are generated in a combustor to a temperature of about from 550.degree. to 700.degree. C. Thereafter the heated inert components and the gases are directed to a first separator to separate the carrier gases from the heated inert components. A caking bituminous binder coal component is then preheated and dried to temperatures of either 60.degree. over or under 300.degree. C. with the separated carrier gas. The binder coal and the separated carrier gas is then directed to a second separator to provide a second separated carrier gas and the heated binder coal. The second heated carrier gas is directed into a third separator in direct heat exchange with a second inert component which is then heated by this to a temperature of from 350.degree. to 600.degree. C.

Abstract: A method for producing hot briquettes, for example, for use in blast furnaces, and using a briquetting material of non-caking components, such as low temperature coke from bituminous coal and/or lignite, coke dust and/or oil coke and caking fat coal at temperatures between 430.degree. C. and 540.degree. C., comprising, delivering the briquetting material to a briquetting press to form briquette blanks, tempering and degassing the blanks by delivering the blanks into individual chambers in a closed system of several chambers having gas communication with each other so that there is partly changing amounts of gas generated in the individual chambers and the briquette blanks are formed into tempered briquettes, and applying an overpressure to the chambers to conduct the gases away from the chamber with one and the same overpressure.