US1525618A - Artificial fuel and method of making same - Google Patents

Description

Patented Feb. 10, 1925. p

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'rnnononn NAGEL, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ARTIFICIAL AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME.

No Drawing.

' bonaceous materials, examples of which are anthracite coal, coke braize, etc., and an object of my invention is the production of a hard combustible water-insoluble artificial fuel in which the granules are fixed in a structure by a smokeless water-insoluble non-fusible binder.

Briefly, my invention may be'realized by coating the granules of comminuted carbonaceous material with a binding material, such as acidulatedsyrup, acidulated syrup and phosphoric acid, causticized vegetable glue and syrup, sulphite pitch and p hosphoric acid, etc., which, upon heating and cooling is converted into a hard combustible water-insoluble non-fusible binder. The mixture is then pressed to exclude the voids thereof to force the granules of the comminuted material into intimate contact and finally heated and cooled to convert the binding material into a'binder which is combustible water-insoluble and non-fusible and is substantially smokeless and odorless when burning. This binder surrounds the granules of the carbonaceous material and fixes them in a water-insoluble structure,

that is a structure which though not necessarily waterproof will not soften and disintegrate in' water and does not disintegrate while burning, that is, does not soften or.

In practising my'invention I prefer to use black strap molassesthe residue after extracting the sugar crystals from cane juice at sugar cane mills or the residue syrup from sugar refineries and when phosphoric, acid is used I prefer a solution of phosphoric Application filed January 2, 1923. Serial No. 610,369.

and heat this comminuted material to a tem perature not to exceed substantially 400 F. and to this material add a binding material such as for example, the above referred to acidulated syrup and a solution of phosphoric acid, the amount of syrup not to exceed substantially 7 7 by weight of the comminuted material and the amount of acid not to exceed 1 372 H PO, by weight of the comminuted material.

The carbonaceous material and the binder are thoroughly mixed so as to coat or cover substantially all of the granules of the material. The mixture is then pressed, in a briquet press for example, to exclude the voids of the mixture and to force the granules thereof into intimate contact, then this pressed mixture is heated to a temperature substantially not in excess of 800 F. and subsequently cooled. (The heating and subsequent cooling of the mixture converts the binding material into a combustible waterinsoluble non-fusible binder w hich fixes the granules of the mixture in a water-insoluble structure that burns without softening and flowing; In the heating of the mixture a chemical reaction takes place forming phosphates.

It is to be understood that the expression non-fusible binder used throughout this description and the accompanying claims is to beinterpreted to mean a binder which does not fuse at the burning temperature of the carbonaceous material employed in making up the fuel.

It-is to be also understood that, while I havespecifically referred to various binding materials as suitable for use in the practice of my improved process these materials are merely illustrative, and that binding materials other than those specifically referred to may be used, the desideratum being a hard water-insoluble structure, the granules of which are fixed therein by a binder which upon heating and cooling is converted into a binder that is non-fusible and water-insoluble and emits substantially no smoke or odor while burning.

It will be obvious to those skilled in this art that my improved method produces an artificial fuel composed of comminuted carbonaceous material, the granules of which are fixed in a hard water-insoluble structure by a binder which is non-fusible and waterinsoluble. The binderbeing non-fusible at the burning temperature of the carbonaceous material holds the granules of the fuel to the structure while the granules are burning, thereby preventing softening and flowing of the structure.

I claim:

1. The process of making artficial fuel which process consists in mixing with comminuted carbonaceous material a binding material which, upon heating and cooling is converted into a. non-fusible binder, pressing the mixture to bring the granules thereof into intimate contact, and subsequently fixing the granules of the carbonaceous material in a structure by heating and cooling the mixture to convert the binding material into a non-fusible binder.

2. The process of making artificial fuel which process consists in mixing with comvminuted carbonaceous material a binding material which, upon heating and cooling I is converted into a water-insoluble, nonfusible binder, subjecting the mixture to pressure to bring the granules thereof into intimate contact and subsequently fixing the granules of the carbonaceous material in a water-insoluble structure by heating and cooling the mixture to convert the binding material into a water-insoluble non-fusible binder. v

3. As an article of manufacture, an artificial fuel composed of comminuted carbonaceous material and a binder containing phosphorus.

4. As an article of manufacture, an artificial fuel composed of comminuted carbondaceous material and added phosphoric aci 5. As an article of manufacture, an artificial fuel composed of comminuted carbonaceous material'and salts of phosphorus.

6. As an article of manufacture, an artificial fuel composed of comminuted carbonaceous material and phosphates.

7. As an article of manufacture, an artificial fuel composed of comminuted carbonaceous material and a binder containing organic carbon and phosphates.

8. The process of making artificial fuel which process consists in mixing with comminuted carbonaceous material a binding material which, upon heating is converted into a. non-fusible binder, pressing the mixture to bring the granules thereof into intimate contact, and subsequently fixing the granules of the carbonaceous material in a structure by heating the mixture to convert the binding material into a non-fusible binder.

9. A briquette comprising comminuted material and a phosphoric acid binding material, said mixed materials being indurated by heating.

10. The method of making fuel briquettes which comprises subjecting suitable comminuted material to the action of a phosphoric acid, moulding the material into the desired shape, and heating the material at a temperature above about 200 C. until the material acquires the desired hardness.

11. A briquet comprising a heat-indurated mass of commingled material and a phosphoric acid binding material.

12. The method of making briquets which comprises subjecting comminuted material to the action of a phosphoric acid,'molding the material into briquettes of any desired shape and indurating the briquets by the action of heat.

13. A fuel briquet comprising comminuted carbon and a phosphoric acid binding material.

14. A fuel briquet comprising anthracite coal culm and a phosphoricacid binding material.

This specification signed this 30th day of December, 1922.

THEODORE N AGEL.