Oven, coke, construction

Thermal conductivity and heat capacity In practical applications, refractory materials processing high thermal capacity as well as low thermal conductivity are required, depending upon (of course) the functional requirements. In most situations, a refractory that serves as a furnace wall should have a low thermal conductivity in order to retain as much as heat as possible. However, a refractory used in the construction of the walls of muffles or retorts or coke ovens should have a high thermal conductivity in order to transmit as much heat as possible to the interior. The charge remains separated from flame in these specific examples of installations. 

An improved form of this kind of coking oven is used in tho neighborhood of Pittsburg in America, This. is represented in elevation and section in Fig. 64. For the most part it is constructed of bricks, and on the side of an incline, affording a facility for unloading... 

The primary routes of potential human exposure to coke oven emissions are inhalation and dermal contact. Occupational exposure to coke oven emissions may occur for those workers in the aluminum, steel, graphite, electrical, and construction industries. Coke oven emissions can have a deleterious effect on human health. Coke oven emissions contain literally several thousand compounds, several of which are known carcinogens and/or cocarcinogens including polycyclic organic matter from coal tar pitch volatiles, jS-naphthylamine, benzene, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromate, lead, nickel subsulfide, nitric oxide, and sulfur dioxide. Most regulatory attention has been paid to coal tar pitch volatiles. 

Although the liquid fraction was not collected in the experiments while feeding coal or sawdust, a liquid fraction and a char fraction were collected while pyrolyzing a municipal solid waste mixture. The liquid fraction represented 7.0% and the char fraction was 13.5% (moisture and ash-free weight basis) of the inlet solid feed. This contrasts with the data reported by Sanner et al. (9) who destructively distilled a municipal refuse in a retort constructed to simulate a coke oven process. They found that a 900 °C, the liquid fraction from the refuse was about 47% and the char fraction was close to 9%. The equipment used by Sanner and co-workers allowed the effluent gases to be cooled immedi-... 

Existing coke oven battery means a battery in operation or under construction on January 20, 1977, and which is not a rehabilitated coke oven battery. 

One of the two vertical walls terminating a battery of coke ovens or a bench of gas retorts it is generally constructed of refractory bricks and heat-insulating bricks with an exterior facing of building bricks. 

Koppers Company, Inc., 1978, Cleaner Gas from Coke Ovens. Kr pers Engineering and Construction btodhure (now part of ICF Kaiser Engineers). 

References to these reports occur in many of the Ordnance records cited in this section. For example, see J. H. Hunter, High Explosives and Research, EE 11, January 1, 1919, NARA, RG 156, entry 528, box 2 History of Construction and Operation of Ordnance Department Light Oil Recovery and By-Product Coke Oven Plants, May 17, 1919, part 2, p. 15, NARA, RG 156, entry 524, box 4 History of Explosives Section Explosives, Chemicals, and Loading Division, part 1, vol. 1, Introduction, January 28, 1919, p. 9, NARA, RG 156, entry 528, box 2. 

Many tall batteries were abandoned after less than 10 years of service some in as few as 3 or 4 years. Since the capital investment required for the construction of a large coke oven battery is substantial, these premature failures adversely affected the overall economics of iron and steel production. It is not unreasonable to say that the shortened life of coke making facilities in the latter part of the 20th century was one of the primary stimuli for the interest in direct steel-making research. If successful, direct steel-making would eliminate not only the coke ovens, but the blast furnaces as well, however, to date, direct steel-making has not proven to be a viable technology. 

While the potential improved economics of the high-production, tall coke oven batteries were attractive to the industry, the track record of many of the tall ovens resulted in a hiatus in the construction of batteries during the late 20th century, particularly in North America. 

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