COAL DISTILLATION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 257, 27 September 1935, Page 16

COAL DISTILLATION.

ECONOMIC BRITISH PROCESS. USE OF NON-COKING FUEL. A coal distillation process which is claimed to bo “abnormally cheap’’- has been evolved in England, after years of experimentation, by British Coal I Distillation Ltd. lb produces a regular 1 agglomerated smokeless fuel entirely ; from non-coking coal, and also soon j by-products as gases, tars, an cl light | spirit. Known as the “Suncolo lowtemperature process, it is said to have unique possibilities both as a commercial proposition and a means of relieving the long-depressed coal industry. Mr it. D. Hardy, who with the Duke of Montrose is sponsoring the process, stated lian brown coal or shale a considerable that if it were to be applied to Austraparb of the plant and expenses could ! be eliminated. . ! “Nearly two years have elapsed since the last test was made by the Fuel Research Board,” said Mr Haidy. “Durum that period the improvements suggested by the board have been adopted and the 100-ton per day plant has beeu used to run tests for various collieries, whereby experience of other coals lias been acquired. Experiments have been carried out continually witn a view to improving the process and bridging the gap which lies between , successful technical ;md successful commercial operation. These experiments during the last two years have been \ made largely with improvised plant which has-proved a success, but the plant now possesses permanent maohin- j cry arrived at by large scale experiment. The efficiency now possible is that which results from years of working on a full scale. The permanent staff including the works manager, engineer, chemist, and operating personnel, have been on the plant since its erection in 1928, and is therefore well able to train future staffs in the operation of further plants, an essential requisite lor commercial success. i “The process itself is unique in that:

it produces a regular agglomerated smokeless fuel -entirely from non-coking coal. It is also so elastic that it will work equally well and produce the same product whether its raw materials be low grade unwashed slack or screened washed coal. j “Of course, from tlio Australian point of view, the main interest lies in the production of liquid fuels from shale, and brown coal, for which purpose the process is equally well adapted. “Working on ordinary British bituminous coal, one plant treating 450 tons a day would produce about 2$ million gallons per annum of fuel oil, motor spirit, and creosote, while, of course, in treating the oil-bearing Aus tralian shales, immensely larger quantities oi liquid fuel would ho produced/ ’ -