Method of producing activated carbon

Claim 1

A METHOD OF MAKING ACTIVATED CARBON IN THE FORM OF HARD, TOUGH, SUBSTANTIALLY SPHERICAL PELLETS, WHICH COMPRISES DRY-MIXING COMMINUTED CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL CAPABLE OF EFFECTIVE ACTIVATION AND A COMMINUTED CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL RESISTANT TO ACTIVATION SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONTAINING WOOD TAR PITCH AND COAL TAR PITCH; ADDING A LIQUID CARBOHYDRATE BINDER TO SUCH DRY MIXTURE AND TUMBLING THE WET MIXTURE SO FORMED TO PRODUCE SPHERICAL PELLETS; DRYING PELLETS SO FORMED; THEN CARBONIZING ALL THE CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL AND THEREBY CONVERTING SUCH OF SAID MATERIAL AS IS RESISTANT TO ACTIVATION, INTO A CHARRED BONDING STRUCTURE WITHIN EACH SUCH PELLET; AND THEN SUBJECTING A MASS OF THE CHARRED AND PERMANENTLY BONDED PELLETS TO THE ACTION OF AN ACTIVATING GAS WHILE MAINTAINING SUCH MASS AT AN ACTIVATING TEMPERATURE.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF MAKING ACTIVATED CARBON IN THE FORM OF HARD, TOUGH, SUBSTANTIALLY SPHERICAL PELLETS, WHICH COMPRISES DRY-MIXING COMMINUTED CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL CAPABLE OF EFFECTIVE ACTIVATION AND A COMMINUTED CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL RESISTANT TO ACTIVATION SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONTAINING WOOD TAR PITCH AND COAL TAR PITCH; ADDING A LIQUID CARBOHYDRATE BINDER TO SUCH DRY MIXTURE AND TUMBLING THE WET MIXTURE SO FORMED TO PRODUCE SPHERICAL PELLETS; DRYING PELLETS SO FORMED; THEN CARBONIZING ALL THE CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL AND THEREBY CONVERTING SUCH OF SAID MATERIAL AS IS RESISTANT TO ACTIVATION, INTO A CHARRED BONDING STRUCTURE WITHIN EACH SUCH PELLET; AND THEN SUBJECTING A MASS OF THE CHARRED AND PERMANENTLY BONDED PELLETS TO THE ACTION OF AN ACTIVATING GAS WHILE MAINTAINING SUCH MASS AT AN ACTIVATING TEMPERATURE.