Abstract: A process for activating clays having high residual moisture by: feeding wet clay into a device for drying, comminuting the previously dried clay in a device for comminuting, thermally activating the comminuted clay in an entrained flow reactor or in a fluidized bed reactor in which the comminuted clay is in suspension in a hot gas, removing the gas from the entrained flow reactor or the fluidized bed reactor in a device for removing, and cooling the thermally activated clay in a device for cooling with a cooling gas, and to a corresponding plant. The cooling gas, heated after cooling the thermally activated clay, is combined with the gas from the reactor, and the combined gases are introduced into the drying device. The drying air is filtered after drying, and clay removed by filtration is unified with the dried clay.

Abstract: A method for the thermal treatment of clays by: preheating the clay, which is suspended in a carrier gas, in a heat exchanger; thermally treating the clay in a calcination stage operated under chemically oxidizing conditions; subsequently thermally treating the clay in a calcination stage operated under chemically reducing conditions; cooling the clay in a cooling stage operated under chemically reducing conditions; cooling the clay in a cooling stage operating under chemically oxidizing conditions.

Abstract: A method for operating a plant for producing cement clinker from raw meal having, as viewed in the materials flow direction, at least one calciner for deacidifying the raw meal, and at least one rotary kiln for sintering the deacidified raw meal to form cement clinker. The deacidified raw meal, after passing through the calciner, flows via a cyclone preheating stage into the rotary kiln. Exhaust gases are guided from the rotary kiln into a reactor, arranged between the rotary kiln and the calciner, with fuel being fed into the reactor superstoichiometrically in relation to the dwell time of the exhaust gases in the reactor, so that carbon dioxide in the exhaust gases is reduced to form carbon monoxide. The carbon monoxide is used as a reducing agent for nitrogen oxides, which are chemically reduced in the reactor independently of the short dwell time in the calciner.

Abstract: A plant for producing cement clinker, comprising as viewed in the direction of materials flow, a heat exchanger to preheat raw meal, a downstream calciner to calcine the raw meal, a rotary kiln to sinter the calcined raw meal, and a clinker cooler to cool the sintered cement clinker. A combustion device which carbonizes, pyrolysis or burns difficult fuels, is embodied as a pot reactor or gooseneck reactor in an inverted U-shape, and is positioned upstream of the calciner on the flow path of the exhaust gases from the rotary kiln to the calciner, and has a gas outlet that opens out above a tertiary-air line of the clinker cooler into the calciner. As a result, it becomes possible to burn fuel which is lumpy and/or has poor ignitability, and the gases from incomplete combustion in the reactor are available in the calciner in gaseous form for further combustion.

Abstract: A plant for producing cement clinker, comprising as viewed in the direction of materials flow, a heat exchanger to preheat raw meal, a downstream calciner to calcine the raw meal, a rotary kiln to sinter the calcined raw meal, and a clinker cooler to cool the sintered cement clinker. A combustion device which carbonizes, pyrolysis or burns difficult fuels, is embodied as a pot reactor or gooseneck reactor in an inverted U-shape, and is positioned upstream of the calciner on the flow path of the exhaust gases from the rotary kiln to the calciner, and has a gas outlet that opens out above a tertiary-air line of the clinker cooler into the calciner. As a result, it becomes possible to burn fuel which is lumpy and/or has poor ignitability, and the gases from incomplete combustion in the reactor are available in the calciner in gaseous form for further combustion.

Abstract: A method for operating a plant for producing cement clinker from raw meal having, as viewed in the materials flow direction, at least one calciner for deacidifying the raw meal, and at least one rotary kiln for sintering the deacidified raw meal to form cement clinker. The deacidified raw meal, after passing through the calciner, flows via a cyclone preheating stage into the rotary kiln. Exhaust gases are guided from the rotary kiln into a reactor, arranged between the rotary kiln and the calciner, with fuel being fed into the reactor superstoichiometrically in relation to the dwell time of the exhaust gases in the reactor, so that carbon dioxide in the exhaust gases is reduced to form carbon monoxide. The carbon monoxide is used as a reducing agent for nitrogen oxides, which are chemically reduced in the reactor independently of the short dwell time in the calciner.