GB331821A - Improvements in and relating to the production of finely divided carbon or carbon black - Google Patents

Abstract

331,821. Lewis, G. C. April 4, 1929. Carbon.-Carbon is produced by heating a hydrocarbon-containing gas to a temperature at which the hydrocarbon constiuents react chemically but without the production of free carbon, cooling the resultant mixture by expan sion to a temperature not below that at which any constituent condenses out, and incompletely burning the whole of the resultant mixture. In one form of apparatus for carrying out the process, a supply pipe 14, which may first be led through a chamber 10 to obtain preheating from the waste gases from burners 13, passes through a counter-current heat interchanger 20 and an expansion chamber 16 into a serpentine or other passage 17. This passage, preferably of fire brick or other non-metallic material, is heated by fuel on a grate 18, or by liquid or gaseous fuel burners, to a temperature which varies with the gas under treatment, e.g. for natural gas, from 600‹ C. to 850‹ C. If the heating apparatus has nickel or iron walls, a lower temperature will be employed but the temperature must be below that at which free carbon is formed. After leaving the furnace, the gas, which now contains free hydrogen and heavier hydrocarbons principally of the aromatic series from benzene to anthracene, flows into the expansion chamber 16, and through the outer pipe 19 of the heat interchanger to the burners 13, the flames from which impinge on channels 11 provided with the usual reciprocating and carbon removing means, if carbon black is desired, or the gas is burned with a smoky flame if lamp black is desired. Further cooling means may be employed. Specifications 309,892 and 316,999 are referred to.