# US 2011/0002839 A1 · Carbon Heat-Treatment Process > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2011/0002839 A1 - Document ID: US20110002839A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/497,475 - Filed: 2009-07-02 - Published: 2011-01-06 - Earliest claimed: 2009-07-02 - Assignees: Pneumatic Processing Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Michael A. Jones - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20110002839A1 ## CPC - C01B 32/30: Active carbon - C01B 32/312: Preparation - C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C} ## Abstract Methods for producing devolatilized and/or activated carbon in a reactor or reaction vessel of a heat treatment system from a suitable carbonaceous feedstock by introducing the feedstock into the reactor tangentially at a rotational velocity of at least 90 RPM. The methods include the steps of providing a combination of conveying means and a gas flow having various compositions and creating distinct carbonaceous feedstock material flow patterns and process conditions such that the feedstock is conveyed through the reactor or reaction vessel and heated via combustion, thereby producing activated carbon or other heat-treated carbons while concurrently avoiding adverse reaction conditions. Single and two-stage heat treatment systems may be used to heat a carbon feedstock, to which one or more industrial minerals may be added to co-produce compositions such as lime with the heat-treated carbon. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for heat-treating a particulate carbon feedstock in a heating system, comprising the steps of: a. providing a particulate carbon feedstock conveying means; b. providing a gas containing at least one of H2O, CO2, or O2; and c. conveying said carbon feedstock into a reactor utilizing said conveying means and adding said gas either prior to or concurrent with entry of said feedstock into said reactor and such that said carbon feedstock is introduced tangentially into said reactor at a rotational velocity of at least 90 RPM; and d. heating said feedstock such that at least devolatilization occurs. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said feedstock undergoes additional heat treatment in a separate reactor after devolatilization occurs. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said feedstock undergoes devolatilization and activation in one reactor or reaction vessel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, where said gas comprises waste gas from an activating stage and said gas is used to devolatilize said particulate carbon feedstock. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the moisture content of said gas is at least 1.1 lbs of moisture per 1 lbs of dry feedstock. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a gas quench of the carbon feedstock after step d. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a co-product industrial mineral concurrently with said carbon feedstock in step c. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing an enhancer concurrently with said carbon feedstock in step c. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein at least 90% of said particulate carbon feedstock is at least 240 mesh or greater in size. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said particulate carbon feedstock ranges in uniformity of size as follows: at least 90% of the feedstock is within one-half an order of magnitude in size for particles coarser than 0.40 mm; and at least 90% of the feedstock is within one-quarter an order of magnitude in size for particles 0.40 mm or smaller in size; wherein feedstock overlapping these size ranges have at least 90% of the particles within one-half to one-quarter an order of magnitude in size of each other. ### Claim 11 A method for producing activated carbon in a heating system from a particulate carbon feedstock suitable for forming same, comprising the steps of: a. providing a carbon activation gas; b. providing a particulate conveying means; and c. conveying said particulate carbon feedstock into a reactor utilizing said conveying means and adding said carbon activation gas either prior to or concurrent with entry of said feedstock into said reactor such that said carbon feedstock is introduced tangentially into said reactor at a rotational velocity of at least 90 RPM; and d. heating said feedstock such that devolatilization and activation occur. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein said carbon feedstock undergoes heat treatment in a separate devolatilization reactor prior to step c. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein said feedstock undergoes both devolatilization and activation in the same reactor or reaction vessel. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, where said carbon activation gas comprises waste gas from said separate devolatilization reactor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the moisture content of said carbon activation gas is at least 1.1 lbs of moisture per 1 lbs of dry feedstock. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of providing a gas quench of the carbon feedstock after step d. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of providing a co-product industrial mineral concurrently with said carbon feedstock in step c. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of providing an enhancer concurrently with said carbon feedstock in step c. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said particulate carbon feedstock ranges in uniformity of size as follows: at least 90% of the feedstock is within one-half an order of magnitude in size for particles coarser than 0.40 mm; and at least 90% of the feedstock is within one-quarter an order of magnitude in size for particles 0.40 mm or smaller in size. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein feedstock overlapping the coarser than 0.40 mm and smaller than 0.40 mm size ranges have at least 90% of the particles within one-half to one-quarter an order of magnitude in size of each other. ### Claim 21 A method for heat-treating a particulate carbon feedstock in a heating system, comprising the steps of: a. providing a particulate carbon feedstock conveying means; b. providing a gas containing at least one of H2O, CO2, or O2; and c. conveying said carbon feedstock into a devolatilization reactor utilizing said conveying means and adding said gas either prior to or concurrent with entry of said feedstock into said devolatilization reactor; d. heating said feedstock such that devolatilization occurs; and e. conveying said feedstock to a separate reactor and heating such that activation of the feedstock occurs. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, where said gas comprises waste gas from said separate reactor where activation occurs and said gas is used to devolatilize said particulate carbon feedstock. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein the moisture content of said gas is at least 1.1 lbs of moisture per 1 lbs of dry feedstock. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of providing a gas quench of the carbon feedstock after step e. ### Claim 25 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of providing a co-product industrial mineral concurrently with said carbon feedstock in step c. ### Claim 26 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of providing an enhancer concurrently with said carbon feedstock in step c. ### Claim 27 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein at least 90% of said particulate carbon feedstock is at least 240 mesh or greater in size. ### Claim 28 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein said particulate carbon feedstock ranges in uniformity of size as follows: at least 90% of the feedstock is within one-half an order of magnitude in size for particles coarser than 0.40 mm; and at least 90% of the feedstock is within one-quarter an order of magnitude in size for particles 0.40 mm or smaller in size; wherein feedstock overlapping these size ranges have at least 90% of the particles within one-half to one-quarter an order of magnitude in size of each other. ### Claim 29 A method for heat-treating a particulate carbon feedstock in a heating system, comprising the steps of: a. providing a particulate carbon feedstock conveying means; b. providing a gas containing at least one of H2O, CO2, or O2; and c. introducing said feedstock with said gas into a reactor having a burner and heating said feedstock, wherein said burner produces between 4,000 and 10,000 BTU's per pound of activated carbon produced. ### Claim 30 A method for heat-treating a particulate carbon feedstock in a heating system, comprising the steps of: a. providing a particulate carbon feedstock conveying means; b. providing a gas containing at least one of H2O, CO2, or O2; and c. introducing said feedstock with said gas into a reactor, wherein said particulate carbon feedstock ranges in uniformity of size as follows: at least 90% of the feedstock is within one-half an order of magnitude in size for particles coarser than 0.40 mm; and at least 90% of the feedstock is within one-quarter an order of magnitude in size for particles 0.40 mm or smaller in size; wherein feedstock overlapping these size ranges have at least 90% of the particles within one-half to one-quarter an order of magnitude in size of each other.