Purification of crude coke

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR ACID-TREATING COKE OVEN LIGHT OIL CONTAINING UNDESIRED IMPURITIES WHICH COMPRISE CONTINOUSLY FLOWING A STREAM OF THE OIL, UNDER PRESSURE THROUGH A SERIES OF ELONGATED, SUBSTANTIALLY UNOBSTRUCTED TREATING ZONES AT VELOCITY OF AT KEAST ABOUT 3 FEET PER SECOND WHEREBY THE STREAM IS MAINTAINED IN TURBULENT CONDITION, CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING A STREAM OF CONCENTRATED SULFURIC ACID THROUGH AN ORIFICE INTO THE STREAM OF OIL JUST PRIOR TO ITS ENTRY INTO THE INITIAL TREATING ZONE, SAID ACID BEING CHARGED AT VELOCITY ABOUT 2 TO 5 TIMES GREATER THAN THE VELOCITY OF THE STREAM OF OIL, AT PRESSURE GREATER THAN THAT OF THE STREAM OF OIL AND IN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO CONVERT THE UNDESIRED IMPURITIES INTO FORM SUITABLE FOR REMOVAL, CONTINUOUSLY PASSING THE COMBINED STREAMS OF OIL AND ACID CO-CURRENTLY THROUGH SAID INITIAL TREATING ZONE FOR A CONTACT TIME OF ABOUT 5 SECONDS TO ABOUT 1 MINUTE, CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING THE ACID-TREATED STREAM INTO A PRESSURE DECANTING ZONE WHEREIN AN UPPER LAYER OF OIL AND LOWER A LAYER OF ACID ARE FORMED, CONTINOUSLY DISCHARGING THE OIL AND ACID FROM SAID DECANTING ZONE AS SEPARATE STREAMS, CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING A STREAM OF AQUEOUS ALKALI SOLUTION THROUGH AN ORIFICE INTO THE STREAM OF OIL JUST TO ITS ENTRY INTO A SECOND TREATING ZONE, SAID ALKALI SOLUTION BEING CHARGED AT VELOCITY ABOUT 2 TO 5 TIMES GREATER THAN THE VELOCITY OF THE STREAM OF OIL, AT PRESSURE GREATER THAN THAT OF THE STREAM OF OIL AND IN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO NEUTRALIZE THE ACID COMPONENTS IN THE STREAM OF OIL, CONTINUOUSLY PASSING THE COMBINED STREAMS OF OIL AND ALKALI SOLUTION CO-CURRENTLY THROUGH SAID SECOND TREATING ZONE FOR A CONTACT TIME OF ABOUT 5 SECONDS TO ABOUT 1 MINUTE, CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING THE NEUTRALIZED STREAM OF OIL INTO A SECOND PRESSURE DECANTING ZONE WHEREIN AN UPPER LAYER OF NEUTRALIZED OIL AND A LOWER LAYER OF ALKALI SOLUTION ARE FORMED AND CONTINUOUSLY SEPARATING THE NEUTRALIZED OIL AS PRODUCT FROM SAID ALKALI SOUTION.