Amorphous carbonaceous material

Claim 1

A PARTICULATE AMORPHOUS CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL DERIVED FROM COAL BY HEATING THE COAL IN PARTICULATE FORM IN THREE STAGES CONSISTING OF: FIRST, A CATALYZING STAGE IN WHICH THE COAL IS HEATED IN THE PRESENCE OF OXYGEN TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW THAT AT WHICH TAR-FORMING VAPORS BEGIN TO BE EVOLVED; SECOND, A CARBONIZATION STAGE IN WHICH THE CATALYZED COAL PARTICLES FROM THE FIRST STAGE ARE HEATED TO EVOLVE TAR-FORMING VAPORS THEREFROM AND FORM REACTIVE CHAR PARTICLES; AND THIRD, A CALCINING STAGE IN WHICH THE CHAR FROM THE SECOND STAGE IS HEATED TO A STILL HIGHER TEMPERATURE TO REDUCE THE VOLATILE CONTENT OF THE CHAIR, THIS CHAR CONSTITUTING THE SAID PARTICULATE AMORPHOUS CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL; THE PARTICLES OF WHICH PARTICULATE AMORPHOUS CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL HAVE (A) A CARBON CONTENT ON A MOISTURE AND ASH FREE BASIS OF AT LEAST 90% BY WEIGHT; (B) A REACTIVITY WITH CARBON DIOXIDE ABOVE 10% BY WEIGHT MEASURED BY THE AMOUNT OF A SAMPLE OF THE CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL, SIZED TO PASS THROUGH A 20-MESH BUT RETAINED ON A 28-MESH SCREEN, CONSUMED IN ONE HOUR IN A STREAM OF CARBON DIOXIDE AT 900*