Apparatus and method for treating raw materials, and carbon produced using said method

A device for the material treatment of raw materials comprising:

• a reaction unit configured to be charged with the raw materials, the reaction unit including:
• a hollow cylindrical vessel which is closed at the bottom;
• and
• an open side which can be closed by a cover element, the cover element including a connecting port for admitting a gaseous flushing medium into the reaction unit;
• and
• a heating system that can be in an opened state in order to be charged with the reaction unit, or in a closed state;
• a distillation unit including a cooling section including a device for forced cooling, wherein the cooling section is one of arranged inside an air guide housing for the targeted routing of ambient air over the cooling section, or formed from at least one coaxial tube for the conduction of gases inside an internal tube and for the conduction of a heat carrier fluid in the intermediate space between the outside of the internal tube and the inside of the external tube;
• temperature sensors connected to a control device, wherein at least one temperature sensor is associated with the heating system and at least one temperature sensor is associated with the distillation unit;
• an extraction device for extracting gases from the reaction unit and generating negative pressure inside the reaction unit, wherein the extraction device is connected to the control device;
• and
• an exhaust gas line for discharging exhaust gases from the reaction unit, the exhaust gas line connecting reaction unit to the distillation unit and including a connecting element for connecting to a device for introducing a gaseous flushing medium into the reaction unit.

A method for operating a device for the material treatment of carbon-containing raw materials, the method comprising:

• charging a reaction unit with raw materials;
• preheating the reaction unit;
• opening a heating system and bringing the reaction unit into the heating system;
• closing the heating system so that the reaction unit is arranged in a closed space;
• heating the reaction unit and starting a charring and distillation process, wherein the charring and distillation process is carried out by selective heating at a substantially constant temperature within the reaction unit, wherein the substantially constant temperature is determined, wherein the reaction unit is charged with a gaseous flushing medium during the charring and distillation process;
• introducing gaseous flushing medium into the reaction unit during the charring and distillation process;
• discharging developing gases from the reaction unit into a distillation unit through an exhaust gas line connecting the reaction unit and the distillation unit;
• determining a temperature of the gases flowing through the exhaust gas line;
• cooling and condensing the gases in the distillation unit, wherein the temperature of the gases is controlled by forced cooling of a cooling section of the distillation unit by means of a heat output dissipated by the gases;
• introducing distillation products into an oil tank and discharging oil;
• extracting non-condensable gases from the oil tank, wherein a negative pressure to the environment is generated within the reaction unit and oxygen is removed from the reaction unit;
• opening the heating system and removing the reaction unit from the heating system;
• cooling the reaction unit, wherein the reaction unit is charged with a gaseous flushing medium during cooling the reaction unit;
• removing final products from the reaction unit, wherein the reaction unit is charged with a gaseous flushing medium during removal of the final products from the reaction unit;
• separating the final products removed from the reaction unit;
• and
• removing additional final products from the oil tank.