Method and apparatus for manufacture of carbon black

Abstract

Abstract A method and apparatus for producing carbon black from hydrocarbons in which a hydrocarbon feed stock, such as a liquid hydrocarbon oil, is converted to carbon black in a tunnel-type carbon black furnace, having a combustion zone whose diameter is greater than its axial length, a reaction zone whose diameter is substantially smaller than that of the combustion zone and which is substantially longer in axial length than the combustion zone and a restricted diameter choke, whose diameter is substantially smaller than the diameter of the reaction zone, between the combustion zone and the reaction zone, by burning a combustible mixture, such as a mixture of air and natural gas, in the combustion zone; mixing the flue gases from the burning of the combustible mixture with the feed stock to heat the feed stock prior to its passage through the restricted diameter choke and into the reaction zone; and injecting a quenching fluid, such as low-pressure steam, into the reaction zone, in progressively larger volumes, from the influent end to the effluent end of the reaction zone, including the introduction of a quantity of the quench fluid in the area of the reaction zone adjacent the juncture between the restricted diameter choke and the walls of the reaction zone itself, for example, by introducing the quench fluid at a plurality of points spaced from the juncture of the choke and the walls of the reaction zone to a point in the reaction zone at which the reaction mixture is generally quenched in accordance with the prior art. It is also contemplated that the angle which the injected quench fluid forms with the walls of the reaction zone should progressively increase from the influent to the effluent end of the reaction zone to form an annular veil of quench fluid defining a general cone shape with its base adjacent the influent end and its apex toward the effluent end.

Inventors

• 👤 James E Lewis

Bibliographic Details