Processing of raw petroleum coke

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A GRANULAR CARBON PRODUCT HAVING A VOLATILE MATTER CONTENT BETWEEN ABOUT 0 AND ABOUT 6 PERCENT AND A PARTICLE SIZE ABOVE ABOUT 1/8 OF AN INCH IN DIAMETER FROM A STARTING MATERIAL COMPRIISING RAW PETROLEUM COKE HAVING A VOLATILE MATTER CONTENT BETWEEN ABOUT 9 AND ABOUT 20 PERCENT WHICH COMPRISES: (A) SEPAREATING THE RAW PETROLEUM COKE INTO GROUPS OF PARTICLES WHOSE DIAMETERS ARE: (1) LARGER THAN 1/8 INCH; AND (2) FINER THAN 1/8 INCH; (B) MILLING THE PARTICLES OF THE LATTER GROUP TO A FINENESS SUCH THAT AT LEAST ABOUT 40% OF THE PARTICLES PASS THROUGH A 100 MESH SCREEN; (C) MIXING THE PARTICLES FROM STEP B WITH A BINDER SYSTEM COMPRISED OF WATER AND A BONDING MATERIAL COMPATIBLE WITH WATER; (D) AGGLOMERATING THE PARTICLES OF THE MIXTURE OF STEP C INTO PELLETS ABOVE ABOUT 1/8 INCH IN DIAMETER; AND (E) DEVOLATILZIZING IN A SUBSTANTIALLY NON-OXIDIZING ATMOSPHERE AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 900*F. AND ABOUT 200*F. THE CARBON PARTICLES LARGER THAN ABOUT 1/8 INCH OF SEPARATION STEP A AND THE PELLETS OF STEP D UNTIL THEIR RESPECTTIVE VOLATILE MATTER CONTENTS ARE BETWEEN ABOUT 0 AND ABOUT 6 PERCENT.