Abstract: The coke forms are produced in four stages, each constituted by a respective oven chamber, and in which the briquets are, respectively, preheated, dehydrated or dried, carbonized and cooled. Hot gas circuits are provided, in which the hot gas is composed substantially of burnt lean gas of the carbonization, and, for each stage, the hot gases are recirculated in a separate respective circuit. In the preheating, dehydrating and carbonization stages, the hot gases are heated and produced, or supplemented, in a respective separate combustion chamber with the recirculating hot gas in the carbonization stage being supplemented with cooled lean gas from this stage. The recirculating hot gases are dedusted separately in a dust settling chamber in which their flow velocity is reduced to approximately 0.2 to 2.0 m/sec, with the dust being collected.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for performing a continuous thermal treatment of organic carbonaceous materials under controlled pressure in which the feed material is introduced into the system in the form of a slurry, and the level of liquid is maintained at a preselected operating level, serving as a gas-tight seal. The feed material is conveyed upwardly of the liquid operating level and is thereafter introduced into a reaction chamber in which it is heated to within a controlled elevated temperature range under controlled pressure in a manner to effect vaporization of at least a portion of the volatile substances therein, forming a gaseous phase composed of condensible and noncondensible vapors.

Abstract: Distillation system for distilling shale oil. Shale is inserted into a rotating retort which displaces the shale throughut the retort extended length. The rotating retort is mounted to a multiplicity of enclosed housings through rotative bearings. The enclosed housings form discrete heating chambers to provide individual temperature zones through which the shale passes in the distilling process. The multiplicity of housings are each connected to a next consecutive housing through a conduit which permits utilization of combustion gases from a common source to heat each of the temperature zones. A thermal control mechanism is coupled to each of the enclosures to provide temperature control within a particular temperature zone. Thus, the shale in its passage through the retort is subjected or exposed to predetermined temperature ranges within each of the enclosures for a predetermined time in order to maximize the efficiency of the shale oil recovery process.

Abstract: Coke is produced with high yield and low sulfur by heating and drying ground coking coal at 200.degree. to 300.degree. C. for 15 to 120 minutes in air, and then heating in two semicoking stages in nitrogen in fluidized bed reactors. The first semicoking stage is 400.degree. to 600.degree. C. for 10 to 60 minutes while the second is 800.degree. to 1,100.degree. C. for 10 to 60 minutes. Tar is condensed from the offgases of the first semicoking stage and the residual gas is divided and 15 to 95% recycled to the first semicoking reactor. Similarly, 15 to 95% of the offgases from the second semicoking reactor is recycled. The condensed tar is fed to the final coke-forming operation.

Abstract: A process for making low sulfur oil by reacting aqueous reactive sludges and slurries with hot, pressurized carbon monoxide and hydrogen (synthesis gas) wherein the wastes are first concentrated by coking in the liquid phase under a pressure of 300 to 3000 psig at a temperature of 400.degree. to 550.degree. F for from 5 minutes to 2 hours.

Abstract: Process for producing formed coke for metallurgical use from coal powder by continuously heating with a high temperature gas as heating medium for carbonizing agglomerated coal which are made of coal powder and a binder such as coal tar, pitch and petroleum asphalt, comprising providing tuyeres for introducing gas at the middle and the lower parts of an upright type carbonization oven, adjusting temperature of the gas to be supplied to the tuyere at the middle part at 600.degree. to 800.degree. C, adjusting the supply rate of the gas so as to maintain the temperature of the gas on the agglomerated coal at 300.degree. to 500.degree. C, and further adjusting the supplied heat to the lower part of the carbonization oven including the lower tuyere to amount less than 50% of the total supplied heat.

Abstract: A process for carbonizing lignite coal in a Herreshoff Carbonizer of a multi-hearth type. The novel process comprises the steps of introducing given quantities of lignite in the first and succeeding hearths while introducing sufficient quantities of combustion air and fuel to ignite the fuel and to raise the temperature of the hearths until the process is self-sustaining as a result of the combustion of the volatiles driven off of the lignite. The hearth temperatures range approximately 1450.degree. to 1620.degree. F in the first furnace hearth with the second furnace hearth ranging approximately 1650.degree. to 1800.degree. F and the third furnace hearth ranging approximately 1650.degree. to 1890.degree. F. Sufficient combustion air is introduced into various hearths of the furnace to insure complete combustion in at least the first hearth and in the stack of the volatiles being driven off thereby making the process self-sustaining, allowing the introductory fuel to be cut off.

Abstract: High quality coke is prepared by calcining green coke obtained by the delayed coking process at a temperature lower than the customarily adopted calcination temperature, once cooling the coke and then calcining the coke at a temperature within the customarily adopted calcination temperature range.

Abstract: Apparatus and the method of converting organic material such as that separated from municipal and industrial waste into useful products by using a form of an extruder in a continuous destructive distillation process and in which the material being processes is compressed in the extruder in the absence of air and is heated to carefully controlled temperatures in separate zones to extract different products from each of the zones.

Abstract: In a coking process wherein coal is subjected to coking in chamber furnaces by means of combustion of a fuel gas in the heat flues of the furnace and transfer of the generated heat through the walls of the furnace, the heat supply is effected, during the entire course of the coking operation, according to a preestablished programmed control scheme related to a uniform or mean rate of heat supply, the supply of heat being at a maximum at the commencement of the coking operation and being gradually reduced during the continuing coking operation.

Abstract: A cokable substance such as coal is admitted into a coking chamber. A quantity of heat which is sufficient to cause coking of the cokable substance is supplied to the chamber during preselected time intervals within the coking period in which coking of the cokable substance progresses in response to the supply of heat. On the other hand, during other time intervals within the coking period in which coking of the cokable substance is essentially unaffected by the supply of heat, the quantity of heat supplied to the chamber is reduced to a level below that required to sustain coking of the cokable substance during the preselected time intervals. In this manner, savings in energy may be realized. The supply of heat to the chamber during those time intervals in which coking of the cokable substance is unaffected by the supply of heat may be discontinued completely.

Abstract: Coke is produced with high yield and low sulfur by heating and drying ground coking coal at 200.degree. to 300.degree. C. for 15 to 120 minutes in air, and then heating in three semicoking stages in fluidized bed reactors. The first semicoking stage is 300.degree. to 470.degree. C. for 10 to 20 minutes; the second is 400.degree. to 600.degree. C. for 10 to 20 minutes; while the third is 800.degree. to 1100.degree. C. for 10 to 20 minutes. Tar is condensed from the offgases of the first two semicoking stages and the residual gas from each is divided and 60 to 80% recycled as fluidizing gas to the same semicoking reactor. 10 to 20% of the offgases from the third semicoking stage is recycled to the third stage as fluidizing gas. In addition, oxygen is used as make-up fluidizing gas in each of the three stages, in the amount of 10 to 30 liters per kilogram of dry coal in the first stage, 5 to 20 liters per kilogram of dry coal in the second stage, and 40 to 100 liters per kilogram of dry coal in the third stage.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for the destructive distillation of organic waste materials. An insulated sealed distillator compartment is provided having a plurality of conveyor stages for transporting the waste material through the sealed compartment while subjecting the material to a plurality of increased zones of temperature in order to completely pyrolyze the material and evolve pyrolysis gases. An auger feed apparatus supplys a continuous supply of material to the sealed distillator, while an auger discharge apparatus removes a continuous supply of solid carbonaceous residue from the distillator. The residue can be classified and separated into usable products. The evolved gases may be converted into crude oil and natural gas. A process for destructive distillation of the waste materials is also disclosed.

Abstract: Process for making low sulfur oil by reacting aqueous reactive sludges and slurries with hot, pressurized carbon monoxide and hydrogen (synthesis gas) wherein the wastes are first concentrated by coking in the liquid phase under a pressure of 300 to 3000 psig at a temperature of 400.degree. to 550.degree. F for from 5 minutes to 2 hours.

Abstract: In the production of formed coke, the temperatures and times of the oxidation and carbonization phases can be reduced if 5 to 12% by volume of oxygen is included in the fluidizing gas in a fluidized bed reactor in which the carbonization phase is conducted.

Abstract: A furnace for thermal processing of lump solid fuel, comprising a body accommodating a semicoking zone, zones for gasifying semicoke and for cooling waste solid material and chambers adapted for feeding gas into said zones and discharging a vapor-gas mixture therefrom, said zones and chambers being arranged in succession along the height of the furnace body. The furnace is furnished with an unloading device for discharging solid waste material, said device being located in the bottom part of the furnace body and constituting a hopper with a water seal having a cylindrical bottom passing into a sloping trough. Mounted above the cylindrical portion of the bottom is a sector rocking-type pusher and above the sloping trough - a mechanical shovel associated with the sector pusher in such a manner that a working stroke of the sector pusher corresponds to an idle stroke of the mechanical shovel.

Abstract: An improved two-step fluid bed process for conditioning sized, agglomerative, high volatile bituminous coal is disclosed. The agglomerative bituminous coal is first crushed and sized for fluidization. A first treatment is conducted under oxidizing conditions at below the fusion temperature of the coal, preferably at about 600.degree. F., followed immediately by a second treatment under a non-oxidizing or inert atmosphere at preferably 800.degree. F. .+-.50.degree. F. The resulting oxidized and heat treated coal particles have a volatile content of at least 15% and are thereby rendered non-agglomerative when thereafter subjected to even higher temperatures, e.g., when making activated carbon and/or synthesis gas.

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: Process for the gas extraction of soluble constituents of coal which comprises heating the coal in the presence of an extractor to a terminal temperature of 400.degree.C. to 550.degree.C. where the extractant at the terminal temperature is in the gas phase to extract the soluble constituents from the coal and separating the extractant from the residue and recovering the extract from the extractant. The heating of the coal in the presence of an extractant is at an initial rate of 20.degree.C. per minute and preferably as fast as possible to an initial temperature of 370.degree.C. to 390.degree.C. preferably 380.degree.C. and thereafter heating the coal to a terminal temperature at a rate not more than 20.degree.C. per minute and preferably below 5.degree.C. per minute thereby minimizing secondary repolymerization reactions.

Abstract: Fluidized bed technique for oxidizing normally agglomerative bituminous coal is disclosed. One high rank bituminous coal is prepared for activation by grinding, briquetting and crushing to the 3/4 inch to 4 mesh size. Thereafter, the coal particles are fluidized in an oxygen containing atmosphere at from about 400.degree.F. to 700.degree.F. Water is preferably added during oxidation, controlling the oxidation temperature. In this manner, coal particles are rendered non-agglomerative which, when thereafter subjected to carbonization and activation, yields superior activated carbon.

Abstract: Coke is desulfurized by calcining coke at a temperature of 1600.degree. - 2200.degree. F. in admixture with sodium carbonate, followed by direct contact with phosgene or a mixture of carbon monoxide and chlorine at a temperature of 1200.degree. - 1800.degree. F. to produce coke having sulfur contents of less than 0.5 percent.