Pitch coking in horizontal chamber ovens

In West Germany and the USSR pitch coke is also produced by horizontal-chamber coking in modified coke ovens, as used for coal coking. 

The electrochemical production of aluminum utilizes pre-baked or Soderberg anodes. Pre-baked anodes are manufactured by mixing petroleum or pitch coke with around 20% of electrode binder (see Chapter 13.1.2), followed by molding, as is also usual for the production of graphite electrodes. The green electrodes are baked in a ring furnace at a temperature of 1200 °C. 

Soderberg anodes, use of which is declining, are baked directly in the aluminum reduction cell. In this case, petroleum coke is mixed with 25 to 30% binder the mixture is carbonized by the heat of the electrolysis bath (940 to 980 °C). 

The world production of around 15.5 Mt of aluminum in 1986 required a total consumption of around 7 Mt of pre-baked and Soderberg anode material. 

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