Method of producing bodies from raw petroleum coke

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING A GRAPHITIZED CARBON BODY WHICH COMPRISES (1) PLACING A PARTICULATE STARTING MATERIAL CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF RAW PETROLEUM COKE INTO A CONTAINER WHICH IS ADAPTED TO BE SUBJECTED TO BAKING CONDITIONS AND WHICH IS ALSO ADAPTED TO FORM THE COKE PLACED THEREIN INTO A MASS OF DESIRED CONFIGURATION FOR SUBSEQUENT UTILIZATION, (2) HEATING SAID CONTAINER UNDER SUBSTANTIALLY NONOXIDIZING CONDITIONS TO A TEMPERATURE EXCEEDING 600*C., AND (3) FURTHER SUBJECTING THE FORMED AND BAKED MASS, UNDER SUBSTANTIALLY NON-OXIDIZING CONDITIONS, TO GRAPHITIZING TEMPERATURES BETWEEN ABOUT 2000*C. AND ABOUT 3000*C., THE ENTIRE BAKING PROCESS BEING CARRIED OUT WITH SUBSTANTIALLY NO EXTRANEOUS BINDER OR PLASTICIZER, AND WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL MECHANICAL PRESSURE, THE SAID STARTING RAW PETROLEUM COKE HAVING A VOLATILE CONTENT IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 8% TO ABOUT 25% BY WEIGHT, AND BEING FURTHER CHARACTERIZED BY FORMING A HARD, STRONG, NOT EASILY ABRADED AGGLOMERATED COKE WHEN HEATED UNDER SUBSTANTIALLY NON-OXIDIZING CONDITIONS, TO ABOUT 950*C.