342
NEWS
EDITION
Vol. 11, Νo. 23
Free-Burning Domestic Coke from Coke Ovens C. H. S. TUPHOLME, 11, Lunderland Terrace, London, W. 12, England ONE OF THE MAJOR PROBLEMS of the European coking industry
is the disposal of the coke, and considerable time has been spent by the leading coking plants on the development of a more sal able product, having in mind particularly the domestic con sumer, who demands a free-burning, smokeless fuel as the only alternative to bituminous coal for his fireplace. Much research work has been done by Heinrich Koppers, Ltd., of Essen, and the results of this work were recently described by Heinrich Koppers before a meeting of the British Institute of Fuel. Of unusual interest in these studies, which were carried out at the so-called medium carbonizing temperatures—i. e., between 680° and 720° C.—is the oven used. A unique feature of this oven is that one oven wall can be moved laterally by a hydraulic gear, and that the bottom and roof bricks of the coking chamber are replaceable. It is thus possible to carry out coking tests with varying oven widths in order to measure exactly the expansion of the coal and to obtain definite data with regard to the shrink age of the coke. The oven has proved of the utmost value when designing medium temperature carbonizing plants, as the results obtained closely correspond with those procured on large-scale operations. Tests on this oven have shown that, for medium temperature carbonization, ovens of narrow width give the best results. It is, in fact, claimed by Doctor Koppers that it is possible to make the carbonization of practically every kind of coal a paying proposi tion, provided the width of oven and the proportion offillerto binder, as well as other factors, are correctly adjusted. Ac cording to the latest investigations, an oven width of 11.8 to 13.8 in. is suitable for the carbonization of most coals at medium temperatures and the production of very good large-sized hightemperature coke. This medium temperature coke is known as Carbolux. The reactivity of Carbolux is much above that of other kinds of coke. It approaches the reactivity of wood charcoal and is generally equal to that of low-temperature coke. Its ignition point is also low. It is anticipated, therefore, that Carbolux will find a ready sale as a domestic fuel. Plants have been designed by Koppers for either alternative production of smokeless fuel and high-temperature coke, or for the exclusive production of Carbolux. When Carbolux is pro duced it is advisable to use small dry coal or coal containing only a little moisture. The coal is cleaned by the dry process in order to have the necessary quantity of dry coal available for the preparation of the filler, which is required in most cases. The cleaned fine coal is delivered into two bunkers. The coal from one bunker passes into rotary kilns arranged below it, where it is converted into a powdery semi-coke. The coal from the other bunker is fed, by means of a feeding and mixing table, in the re quired proportion into the hot semi-coke with which it is in timately mixed by means of a worm. By the addition of cold coal to the semi-coke, the latter is sufficiently cooled to avoid the risk of spontaneous combustion. The coal mixture from the mixing screw is further intimately mixed in a disintegrator. The coal is then fed by a special dis tributing device into the service bunker for the coke ovens. Carbonization with the 11.8-in. wide ovens requires 18 hours. The gases are treated in the ordinary way, and are mixed in the cooler with the gases evolved in the course of the low-temperature treatment of the filler. The low-temperature kilns and coke ovens are heated by the mixed gas after treatment in the by product plant. The oven is discharged in the customary way and it is not unusual to discharge pieces of coke with a surface area as large as 10 sq. ft. To avoid damage to th , coke car, the coking guide carries special fittings to break up the coke. This plant, with 40 ovens, will produce 400 tons of Carbolux or 640 tons of blast furnace coke. The latter output is obtained when working at high temperatures, such as 1200° C. A Carbolux plant has been installed at Compagnie des Mines de Bruay, Pas-de-Calais, France. Here 50 Koppers hairpin com bination ovens are used, each of which has a net capacity of 120 cu. ft. The design of these ove»is is fundamentally the same as that used for high-temperature carbonization, though the heating system is an improvement on the older types of ovens and insures absolutely uniform heating of the walls, which is so essential for the production of a homogeneous large-size smokeless fuel. In fact, the greatest temperature difference over the entire length of the heating walls is only 30° C , which is necessary on account of the horizontal taper of the walls from the machine side to the coke side. The maximum temperature difference in the charge at the end of the carbonizing period on tost did not exceed 20° t o 25° C. An interesting point of this Bruay plant is that the Carbolux charge shows no parting line in the center. The charge is com pletely fused and forms a homogeneous mass. The shrinkage amounts to approximately 0.625 to 0.75 in. on each side of the coke charge, and leaves a clearance between the charge and the
walls which makes it possible to see the entire length of the charge. The Carbolux obtained at this plant has the following qualities: Moisture Volatile matter Ash Net calorific value Physical properties Color Compression strength Trommel index, above 1.5 in. Trommel index» under 0.375 in. Reactivity Ignition point
2 per cent 8 to 12 per cent 9 to 10 per cent 13,100 to 13,110 B. t. u./lb. Uniform Black 2840 lb./sq. in. 86 t o 88 per cent 5 per cent Very high 460* to 460° C.
According to Doctor Koppers, the resulting fuel, Carbolux, has
exceedingly valuable in the open grate, in hot waller groved oilers and steam boilers for central heating, and also for use on producer-gas fired trucks, of which a number are in operation in France. THANKS, CHICAGO
L. F. SUPPLE, chairman of the Chicago Section, by authoriza tion of the board of directors of that section, has forwarded to the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY the sum of a thousand dollars to
be placed in the Endowment Fund. This is a part of the surplus remaining after all commitments on account of the eighty-sbcth meeting in Chicago had been met. The surplus was such that the board of directors was enabled to pay the first year's dues in the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
for more than twenty chemistry students who had served on various committees and who had contributed thereby to the success of the convention. The Chicago Section felt very that this action would be of benefit, not only to the §roperly OCIETY, but also to these young men who are embarking upon a chemical career. The board of directors of the Chicago Section further appropriated a part of the surplus to the aid of a i e impor tant work of the Unemployment Committee of the section, which is now engaged in an intensive campaign to find work for un employed chemists. The remainder of the surplus has been placed in a contingent fund to be used in financing future national meetings, to meet some emergency, or for other proper uses. The thanks of the SOCIETY are due to Chicago for this further benefit from a highly successful meeting. D O R A N το H E A D DISTILLERS INSTITUTE JAMES M. DORAN, Commisioner of Industrial Alcohol, who
has been in the employ of the Government for the past twenty-six years, has resigned to direct the affairs of the Distillers Institute, which is a trade association being formed by the producers of beverages containing alcohol. It is expected that he will serve upon the code authority for the beverage liquor industry and will occupy a place of importance and authority in the industry comparable to that which Joseph H. Choate, Jr., who heads the Federal Liquor Control Board, occupies in the government organization. The Bureau of Industrial Alcohol has been merged with the Bureau of Internal Revenue of which it will become a division. Mr. Doran has been closely connected with all developments in the forming of codes for the alcoholic beverage industry and comes to his new duties after a considerable period of distin guished service in the Treasury Department. He has had the distinction of administering the Bureau of Industrial Alcohol and before that other phases of alcoholic control in a manner which achieved all that was possible in the interests of law enforcement and at the same time with satisfaction to industrial alcohol manufacturers and users, as well as the various nonpolitical associations primarily interested in the problem. While scientists and industrialists necessarily interested in alcohol as a raw material will regret the loss of so efficient a public servant who now joins industry, they will be the first to wish him all success in his new undertaking. NOMENCLATURE
OF ORGANIC
CHEMISTRY
A REPRINT of the "Definitive Report of the Commission on the Reform of the Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry," published in the October number of the Journal of the American, Chmical Society, will be sent free to each member of the Division of Organic Chemistry of the SOCIETY. A limited number of additional re prints are available for distribution at 10 cents each. Address Arthur J. Hill; Secretary, Sterling Chemistry Laboratory, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
