Improvements in the Manufacture of Blocks or "Briquettes" of Fuel.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Jan, 1895-Accepted, 9th Feb.,
1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Blocks or "Briquettes" of
Fuel.
We, GOTTFRIED HÜTTEMANN, of 726 Vogelstange, Brüx, Bohemia, in the
Empire of Austria, Director of Mines, and GUSTAV SPIECKER, of 46 Bachstrasse,
Bonn-on-the-Rhine, in the Empire of Germany, Chemist, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described aud ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Briquettes have been already made of small fuel in which the said fuel has been
mixed with resin pitch (i.e. the residue left after boiling or distilling conifer resin
at about 260°-300° C. for the purpose of eliminating the resin-essence-pinolin)
and the mixture pressed whilst hot into the form of briquettes by moulding
presses.
The resin pitch which is left as a residue in the distilling or boiling of conifer
resin, can, according to the present invention, as hereinafter more fully explained,
be produced in the presence of the materials to be formed into briquettes and may
also be applied in conjunction with other binding materials.
In practical experiments with resin pitch, it has been shown that the separation
of the resin pitch from the conifer resin, by distilling or boiling the same, need not
take place before it is mixed with the small fuel to be made into briquettes, but
that this operation can be also carried out on the conifer resin in presence of
the material to be made into briquettes, so that, by reason of the high temperature
applied at this time, the proper binding capacity of the briquette material as well
as the solidity and quality of the briquettes is increased.
According to the present invention the process may be advantageously carried
out so that the resin pitch is produced in the material itself which is to be formed
into briquettes (small coal and coke), such material being mixed with conifer resin
and heated (to about 250° C. or more) before the pressing, so that the more volatile
portions of the resin may escape, after which the pressing can take place immediately.
In this manner the separate heating of the conifer resin is saved, which advantage
may be added to those above mentioned.
In the practical experiments with resin pitch, it was shown, moreover, that resin
pitch can be used, not only as a substitute for the binding materials hitherto
employed, but can also be advantageously employed in combination therewith.
And, in the application of the resin pitch together with coal-tar pitch or the like,
the attendant disadvantages of the latter are either entirely obviated or so much
reduced that nothing stands in the way of the practical application of the coal-tar
pitch. Thus by the admixture therewith of a small quantity of resin pitch, which
may be reckoned at about one-tenth per cent., the amount of coal-tar pitch to be added
is so reduced that quite a substantial economy in, the application of coal-tar pitch
alone is effected, and also the application of the resin pitch for briquettes in
industrial use, that is to say, a wider field of application thereof, will be rendered
possible by this invention.
The resin pitch can be added in the form of conifer resin in the preparation of
the coal-tar pitch, either before, during or at the end of the distillation, in which
resin pitch is also formed. The resin pitch can also be mixed with the coal-tar
pitch during or after the preparation of the coal-tar pitch, or both mixed separately
with the briquette material. In this case also the resin pitch can be applied in the
form of conifer resin, before the pressing of the mixture into briquettes, it being

page_text: heated in order to expel the volatile parts of the resin whilst leaving behind the
resin pitch, and then pressed.
In order to produce a binding material for briquettes in this mauner from coal-
tar pitch and resin pitch, coal-tar pitch and resin pitch, for example, are melted
together in the proportion of about 7 parts of coal-tar pitch to 1 part of resin pitch;
an excellent binding material for briquettes is thus produced which is of a very
adhesive nature. Of this mixture from 4 to 4.5 per cent. is added to the small coal
or the like to produce briquettes of great solidity, whilst the same small coal would
require to 9 per cent. of coal-tar pitch alone in order to attain anywhere near the
same solidity in the briquettes.
It is possible, as above mentioned, to allow the resin pitch to be formed from
conifer resin when it is melted together with the coal-tar pitch, that is to say,
during the intimate mixing together with the coal-tar pitch, and it can take place
when the required mixture of conifer resin (about 7 parts of coal-tar pitch
to 11 parts of conifer resin form a good proportion) is added and heated, in the
preparation of the coal-tar pitch, either before, during or at the end of the distillation.
The conifer resin will thus be freed from the volatile products present in it, and it
also forms in this condition a very excellent binding material for briquettes of very
considerable adhesive power, of which only 4 to 4.5 per cent. is necessary for making
extraordinarily solid briquettes.
Resin pitch may be applied in combination with other binding materials, such,
for example, as strong paste, dextrin, so as to enable the briquettes thus made to
withstand the weather.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. The improved process of manufacturing blocks or briquettes of fuel from
small combustible materials using resin pitch as a binding material, in which
process the resin pitch, in the form of conifer resin, is mixed with the materials to
be made into blocks or briquettes, and, before the mixture is compressed or moulded,
it is heated to expel the volatile portions of the resin, the resin pitch being left
behind.
Second. The modification of our improved process, in which the resin pitch is
produced either separately or in the presence of the materials to be made into blocks
cr briquettes, and is used in combination with other binding material or materials,
substantially as described.
Third. The use, in combination with resin pitch, of coal-tar pitch as an additional
binding material, for the purpose above specified.
Fourth. The modification of our process in which the small combustible materials
are incorporated with a mixture of coal-tar pitch and resin pitch and then compressed
in a heated condition, substantially as described.
Fifth. The modification of our improved process in which the materials to be
made into briquettes are mixed with coal-tar pitch and conifer resin, the mixture
being heated to expel the volatile portions of the resin and to form the resin pitch,
and then compressed.
Sixth. The modification of our improved process in which the resin pitch or the
conifer resin is added, before, during or after the necessary distillation of the coal-tar
pitch material, in the preparation of the coal-tar pitch, and whereby the conifer
resin if such has been added-is converted into resin pitch, and this mixture is
mixed with the material from which the briquettes are to be made, after which the
whole is compressed, substantially as described.
Seventh. A binding material for blocks or briquettes, consisting of a mixture of
resin pitch and coal-tar pitch melted together, which can be manufactured as
follows, the resin pitch or the conifer resin is added to the coal-tar pitch material,
either before, during or after the necessary distillation in the manufacture of the
coal-tar pitch, after which the volatile resin-essence` is eliminated by further heating
"

page_text: from the conifer resin-if such has been added-and the latter is converted into
resiu pitch.
Eighth. Blocks or briquettes of fuel made from small combustible materials and
which contain resin pitch with other binding materials such as coal-tar pitch, paste,
dextrin and the like.
Dated this 4th day of January 1895.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.