Abstract: The so-called float tar which floats on the stream of crude tar and ammonia water in the tar separator of a coking installation and which interferes with the clean separation of crude tar and ammonia water is removed by skimming the float tar off the crude tar and ammonia water mixture and subjecting the separated float tar to comminution and homogenization whereupon the homogenized tar product may be processed either separately or together with the bulk of the tar. An installation for use in the process comprises a tar separator in the form of an open top separator vessel, a channelled structure associated with the separator vessel, means provided in the separator vessel for skimming the float tar off the bulk of the crude tar and ammonia water and passing it into the channel of said structure, and a comminuting and homogenizing device which communicates with said channel through a grade drop.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for applying patching or sealing compositions to the interior side walls and roof of a coke oven. In service the refractory of the side walls and roof develops cracks which need to be sealed. According to the invention, a gunning apparatus is mounted on the pusher machine. The head of the pusher ram carries a spray nozzle connected through pipes and a flexible hose with a gun tank mounted on the pusher machine chassis. The patching or sealing composition is applied immediately after coke is pushed from the oven by running the ram through the empty oven without waiting for the oven to cool.

Abstract: The vapor emissions from process exhausts, containing one or more contaminants of the solid, liquid and gaseous types, are delivered to the inlet of a firebox which, in one embodiment, has a cylindrical side wall and a tangentially arranged oxidizing air-fuel burner. The hot gas outlet of the firebox is so arranged that the hot gases of combustion are retained within the firebox a sufficient length of time to insure substantially complete combustion of combustibles within the firebox. The portions of the firebox which are contacted by the gases of combustion are of a material or combination of materials having a surface capable of being heated to a temperature exceeding the ignition temperature of the air-fuel mixture of the burner and of combustible materials from the process, and an external mass capable of insulating said surface against external cooling below said ignition temperature.

Abstract: Coal particles are heated and further particulized at a preheat stage employing a preheat gas. Some of the finer coal particles are puffed up by the preheating step. Most of the preheated coal particles are separated from the preheat gas, but some of the finer coal particles remain with the preheat gas. The coal particles separated from the preheat gas are oiled and eventually transported by a carrier gas through a pipeline into a coke oven. The preheat gas and the finer coal particles remaining therewith are separated from each other utilizing a wet scrubber at which the finer coal particles undergo flocculation. Oil vapor vented from the coal particles headed for the coke oven is directed to the wet scrubber to aid in the flocculating step. The flocculated coal particles are separated from the scrubber liquid in a flotation cell. The overflow from the flotation cell is filtered, and the filter cake comprising coal particles is employed as a fuel.

Abstract: Improvements in the process of producing coke from bituminous coal in high-efficiency coking ovens, whereby the size of the lumps of coke and their strength are both increased, which comprises maintaining a coking rate between 1.2 and 2.8, and preferably between 1.44 and 2.0, inches per hour, based upon the width in inches of the coking chamber and the time required to complete the coking operation, and maintaining a rate of temperature increase between 1.6 and 3.3 centigrade degrees per minute during the heating of the coal while it is in the plastic range. The coal preferably is also preliminarily heated to a temperature between 160.degree. and 250.degree.C, preferably between 180.degree. and 200.degree.C, before being charged to the high-efficiency coking oven, and the width of the coking chamber of the high-efficiency oven that is used is at least 500 millimeters (19.7 inches).

Abstract: In the calcination of petroleum coke in a rotary kiln, procedure wherein air is controllably supplied internally of the kiln to burn the removed volatiles, as by selection or adjustment of the amount of such air and of the speed of coke travel down the kiln, so that all or nearly all of the heat for calcining the coke is provided by such combustion, and so that a suitably high temperature is reached for effective calcination at an efficiently large feed rate of coke, a special feature being to maintain a significantly long travel time of the coke from a region of intense calcining activity to the product discharge end of the kiln. High production rates, of coke calcined well and uniformly, are economically attained, with ease of control and with unusual stability of kiln operation.