Patent ID: 8309052

Claim:
A method for heat-treating a particulate carbon feedstock in a heating system to devolatize and activate the feedstock to produce activated carbon, comprising the steps of: a. providing a particulate carbon feedstock initially in the form of particulate coal; b. providing a gas containing at least one of H 2 O, CO 2 , or O 2 ; and c. conveying said carbon feedstock into a reactor utilizing a 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 and activation occur to prepare activated carbon; wherein the reactor comprises a burner and the conveying comprises injecting the feedstock into hot burner gases in the reactor; and the heating comprises subjecting the feedstock to cyclonic flow in the reactor.