Conversion of tar pitches into activated carbons

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE CONVERSION OF PITCH INTO GRANULES OF ACTIVATABLE CHAR WHICH COMPRISES PASSING AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS IN INTIMATE CONTACT WITH A MOLTEN PITCH SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF COAL-TAR PITCH, WATER-GAS TAR PITCH AND OIL-GAS TAR PITCH UNTIL SAID PITCH HAS A BENZOL-INSOLUBLE CONTENT IN EXCESS OF 45% AND LESS THAN 65% BY WEIGHT, THEREAFTER AND IN SEQUENCE AND WITHOUT PASSING THROUGH THE PULVERULENT STATE, COOLING AND REDUCING RESULTANT MOLTEN PITCH TO SOLID FORM OF GRANULAR SIZE OF BETWEEN ABOUT 4-50 MESH, CONTACTING THE PITCH GRANULES WITH A SOLVENT TO EXTRACT THE BENZOLSOLUBLE COMPONENTS FROM THE PITCH GRANULES THEREBY PRODUCING HIGHLY POROUS GRANULES WITHOUT LOSS OF PARTICULATE IDENTITY OF THE GRANULES, AND HEATING THE RESULTANT GRANULES AT REGULATED TEMPERATURES BELOW THE FUSION POINT OF THE GRANULES IN THE PRESENCE OF OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS UNTIL AN INFUSIBLE ACTIVATABLE GRANULAR CHAR IS OBTAINED.