Activated carbon manufacture

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING ACTIVATED CARBON ENDOTHERMICALLY WHICH COMPRISES PASSING AN ACTIVATING GAS FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF STEAM AND CARBON DIOXIDE INTO INTIMATE CONTACT WITH CARBON IN A COLUMN OF FINELY-DIVIDED PARTICLES OF CARBONACEOUS CHAR CONFINED IN AN ACTIVATING ZONE, THE TEMPERATURE OF THE ACTIVATING GAS BEING SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO REACT WITH THE CARBON IN THE CHAR AND TO PRODUCE, IN SITU, A HOT GASEOUS REACTION PRODUCT INERT TO THE CARBON AND IN EQUILIBRIUM WITH THE HOT ACTIVATING GAS, WHEREBY THE DURATION OF THE ENDOTHERMIC REACTION IS EXTENDED, THE TEMPERATURE AND QUANTITY OF THE ACTIVATING GAS BEING SUFFICIENT TO SUPPLY BY ITS SENSIBLE HEAT ALL THE THERMAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE ENDOTHERMIC REACTION, CONTINUING THE REACTION BETWEEN THE ACTIVATING GAS AND THE CARBON UNTIL THE AMOUNT OF INERT GAS IS EQUAL TO AT LEAST ONE-HALF OF THE GASEOUS MIXTURE IN CONTACT WITH THE CARBON IN THE ACTIVATING ZONE, AND MAINTAINING THE ACTIVATING ZONE UNDER A PRESSURE OF AT LEAST FIVE POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH GREATER THAN ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, SAID PRESSURE BEING SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO REDUCE THE VELOCITY OF THE GASES DURING THEIR PASSAGE BETWEEN THE PARTICLES OF CHAR IN THE COLUMN SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THAT WHICH WOULD OBTAIN AT NORMAL PRESSURE SO THAT THE HOT DENSIFIED ACTIVATING AND INERT GASES ARE MAINTAINED IN LONGER HEAT INTERCHANGING CONTACT WITH THE INDIVIDUAL CHAR PARTICLES PER UNIT OF TIME AND THE ACTIVATING EFFICIENCY OF THE GASES INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING ACTIVATED CARBON ENDOTHERMICALLY WHICH COMPRISES PASSING AN ACTIVATING GAS FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF STEAM AND CARBON DIOXIDE INTO INTIMATE CONTACT WITH CARBON IN A COLUMN OF FINELY-DIVIDED PARTICLES OF CARBONACEOUS CHAR CONFINED IN AN ACTIVATING ZONE, THE TEMPERATURE OF THE ACTIVATING GAS BEING SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO REACT WITH THE CARBON IN THE CHAR AND TO PRODUCE, IN SITU, A HOT GASEOUS REACTION PRODUCT INERT TO THE CARBON AND IN EQUILIBRIUM WITH THE HOT ACTIVATING GAS, WHEREBY THE DURATION OF THE ENDOTHERMIC REACTION IS EXTENDED, THE TEMPERATURE AND QUANTITY OF THE ACTIVATING GAS BEING SUFFICIENT TO SUPPLY BY ITS SENSIBLE HEAT ALL THE THERMAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE ENDOTHERMIC REACTION, CONTINUING THE REACTION BETWEEN THE ACTIVATING GAS AND THE CARBON UNTIL THE AMOUNT OF INERT GAS IS EQUAL TO AT LEAST ONE-HALF OF THE GASEOUS MIXTURE IN CONTACT WITH THE CARBON IN THE ACTIVATING ZONE, AND MAINTAINING THE ACTIVATING ZONE UNDER A PRESSURE OF AT LEAST FIVE POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH GREATER THAN ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, SAID PRESSURE BEING SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO REDUCE THE VELOCITY OF THE GASES DURING THEIR PASSAGE BETWEEN THE PARTICLES OF CHAR IN THE COLUMN SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THAT WHICH WOULD OBTAIN AT NORMAL PRESSURE SO THAT THE HOT DENSIFIED ACTIVATING AND INERT GASES ARE MAINTAINED IN LONGER HEAT INTERCHANGING CONTACT WITH THE INDIVIDUAL CHAR PARTICLES PER UNIT OF TIME AND THE ACTIVATING EFFICIENCY OF THE GASES INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY.