...that the x-ray was discovered purely by accident? When German physicist Wilhelm Konrad von Roentgen was experimenting with cathode rays in 1895, he put an activated Crookes tube in a book and went out to lunch. When he returned, he discovered that a key that had also been placed in the book showed up as an image on the developed film!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7303596 | Disposable fuel pack A fuel pack for igniting charcoal includes an elongated member formed from combustible material that includes an elongated wick passing through it. Advantageously, the ignitable member and wick are saturated with a non-petroleum oil for providing a catalyst to ignit... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7128767 | Method to upgrade low rank coal stocks The ash content of raw coals, lignite, and other carbonaceous materials is reduced by leaching the high-ash material with an aqueous acidic waste product produced by a Fischer-Tropsch reaction. The acidic aqueous waste is mixed with coal and process conditions are d... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7030073 | Chemical composition A process for making a chemical composition includes the steps of mixing 200–800 parts by volume of petroleum solvent with 10–500 parts by volume of normal paraffin or isoparaffin at room temperature to form a solvent paraffin mixture. A microcrystalline wax is ... | 04/18/2006 |
| 6093224 | Long burning fire starter A long burning fire starter produced by mixing diatomaceous earth particles with wood pellets; soaking the particles and pellet mix in a liquid burning agent and, if desired, a dye and fragrance; coating the soaked mix with wax; and packaging the soaked a... | 07/25/2000 |
| 6068737 | Simultaneous demetallization and desulphuration of carbonaceous materials via microwaves The process of demetalization and desulphuration of a mixture of carbonaceous material in an acid medium subjecting the mixture to the influence of wave energy in the microwave range, recovering, afterwards, the sulphur and separating the treated material... | 05/30/2000 |
| 5980592 | Method of processing problematic, organic, chemical wastes, and a plant for carrying out the method A method and a plant for processing problematic, organic, chemical wastes for the disposal thereof. The different types of waste are collected in separate portions and the liquid waste portions are pooled, and the resulting liquid mixture is left to separ... | 11/09/1999 |
| 5296004 | Firestarting pellet There is disclosed a firestarting pellet made from cedar and impregnated with an alcohol/water solution. The pellet rapidly ignites combustible fire fuels under a variety of burning conditions. A method of manufacturing the firestarting pellet is also dis... | 03/22/1994 |
| 5244472 | Preparation of chemically dried cellulosic fuel Wood chips, bark, sawdust and other cellulosic products containing unacceptably high quantities of water are dried and enriched in BTU content. The green or freshly cut wood product is immersed in hot oil to dry the wood. After water exits the wood pores ... | 09/14/1993 |
| 5033230 | Method for passivating particulate coal A method is disclosed for drying and passivating wet coals, for example bituminous, subbituminous or lignite. The wet coal is introduced into a heating zone at a controlled rate, then is contacted with a heavy hydrocarbonaceous treatment material having a... | 07/23/1991 |
| 4878922 | Fireplace starter composition An immediate slow burning granular composite for firing up fireplace logs and kindling wood. The composite is wrapped in a cellophane film and packaged in an aluminum tray to be placed beneath the grate of the fireplace. Upon lighting the composite, a con... | 11/07/1989 |
| 4800015 | Utilization of low rank coal and peat Low rank coals including lignite, brown and sub-bituminous coals, and peat containing unacceptably high quantities of water are dried and enriched in BTU content. The mined low rank coal is crushed to between about one-half inch and three inches in diamet... | 01/24/1989 |
| 4522628 | Method for removing ash mineral matter of coal with liquid carbon dioxide and water A method for removing the ash mineral matter content of coal and transporting the ash free coal from the point of ash removal to a coal use point comprising grinding run-of-mine coal to a desired particle size, mixing the coal particles with water and liq... | 06/11/1985 |
| 4522627 | Process for producing oil-containing, microspherical carbonaceous particles Molten pitch is mixed and atomized in an inert gas stream having a temperature less than that of the molten pitch, cooled to the ordinary temperature and separated from the gas stream. Fine powder such as carbon, silica alumina and the like is added to at ... | 06/11/1985 |
| 4504274 | Enrichment of low grade coals High moisture coal is dried in a turbulent bed by contact with heated char. The dried coal is cooled and then treated with a coal spray for storage stability against spontaneous combustion.... | 03/12/1985 |
| 4498905 | Method for deactivating and controlling the dusting tendencies of dried particulate lower rank coal Dried particulate low rank coal fuel having a reduced reactivity and a reduced dusting tendency is produced from dried particulate low rank coal by a method consisting essentially of: intimately contacting the dried particulate low rank coal with a deacti... | 02/12/1985 |
| 4481011 | Coke oven charge mixtures with coal binder In a method of preparing coal in particulate form for charging coke ovens, the particulate coal is initially treated with a binding agent selected from carbo-pitch, residues of coal oil refining and oil refining residues; particulate coal so treated is mi... | 11/06/1984 |
| 4412842 | Coal beneficiation process Coal is beneficiated by slurrying coal particles of less than 200 microns in diameter with water. The slurry is cavitated with intense sonic agitation at a level of at least 15 joules/cm2. While the slurry is in the cavitated state, impurities ... | 11/01/1983 |
| 4403996 | Method of processing low rank coal Method of processing low rank coals which comprises steps of classifying crushed low rank coals into middle sized lumps and minute particles, subjecting the middle sized lumps to a non-evaporating dehydration treatment to produce low moisture content coal... | 09/13/1983 |
| 4396395 | Method and apparatus for contacting particulate coal and a deactivating fluid A method and apparatus for contacting particulate coal and a deactivating fluid, the apparatus comprising a mist contacting vessel wherein the coal and a deactivating fluid mist are contacted to produce a coal-deactivating fluid mixture. A method for prod... | 08/02/1983 |
| 4293313 | Combustible compositions and processes for their production An ignitable combustible composition comprising a matrix of solid resin having distributed therethrough combustible liquid, e.g. kerosene, water and contains also up to 25% by weight of expanded perlite to lengthen the burning time of a unit volume of the... | 10/06/1981 |
| 4272252 | Fire lighting device A fire lighting device for safety lighting charcoal, wood and other fires. The device includes a mass of cellulosic fibrous material having a flammable substance such as mineral spirits absorbed therein, and the material is sealed within an envelope. The ... | 06/09/1981 |
| 4261699 | Process for removal of sulfur and ash from coal A process for reducing the sulfur and ash content of coal wherein coal particles are treated with a conditioning agent in an aqueous slurry prior to agglomeration with a minor amount of hydrocarbon oil. After separation of the coal-oil agglomerate from as... | 04/14/1981 |
| 4255155 | Process for agglomerating coal This invention provides a method for reducing the amount of hydrocarbon oil required to form coal-oil agglomerates comprising the steps of (a) combining a first coal fraction comprising predominately coarse particles, and a second coal fraction comprising... | 03/10/1981 |
| 4249909 | Drying and passivating wet coals and lignite This invention discloses a staged process for drying wet carbonaceous materials such as sub-bituminous coal or lignite containing at least about 10 weight percent moisture, usually 15-50 weight percent moisture, by first heating the wet material under low... | 02/10/1981 |
| 4244701 | Powdered fuel (gasoline substitution) A fuel in the form of a powder which is used for combustion engines, and including a process whereby the fuel is made; the fuel including charcoal, hard coal, grain chaff, gun powder, alcohol and water, while the process confines the temperatures at which... | 01/13/1981 |
| 4244700 | Method of and apparatus for heat processing of pulverized solid fuel According to the invention pulverized solid fuel is processed by heating the fuel to a temperature at which thermal decomposition of the fuel begins and subsequently heating the fuel to a temperature at which an intense thermal decomposition of the fuel t... | 01/13/1981 |
| 4244699 | Treating and cleaning coal methods Methods of and apparatus for cleaning coal in which halogenated hydrocarbons are used as parting liquids. Various novel techniques, components, and combinations thereof are employed to maximize efficiency; to minimize costs and adverse environmental impac... | 01/13/1981 |
| 4240800 | Process for treatment of bagasse for the production of oil binders A novel oil absorbent comprising substantially sugar-free, hydrophobic, oleophilic bagasse prepared by saturating with water, removing the sugar, and then drying, which will absorb oil in an amount up to about 27 times its weight. The oil saturated absorb... | 12/23/1980 |
| 4225317 | Alkyl phenoxy poly(ethyleneoxy)ethanol in fuel oil to prevent coal particles from freezing together A method for treating particulate solids having surface moisture to reduce the cohesive strength of masses of such solids when frozen, said particulate solids being neither water soluble nor water swellable, said method consisting of spraying such solids ... | 09/30/1980 |
| 4210423 | Solid fuel use in small furnaces A method is described for preparing a solid fuel, in either powder or briquette form, for use in small furnaces. The fuel has a relatively uniform heating value of 12,000-14,000 Btu per pound and is prepared by crushing and grinding coal to less than 200 mesh ... | 07/01/1980 |
| 4164396 | Production of combustible products from waste materials In accordance with this invention there is provided a method of and apparatus for producing a combustible product from waste materials of which part of the fuel consists of pulverized combustible solid waste material, this part of the fuel being at least ... | 08/14/1979 |
| 4057399 | Process for dewatering carbonaceous materials Water is removed from carbonaceous materials such as coal by treatment with a hydrocarbon at elevated temperatures and a pressure sufficiently high to maintain the system liquid.... | 11/08/1977 |
| 4052167 | Heating unit and fertilizer preparation A heating unit consisting of a mixture and blend of a built in means including organic, inorganic materials, and fuels compressed into a generally stable solid, which, due to built in expanding force means, such as vermiculite ore embodies the function of... | 10/04/1977 |
| 4018571 | Treatment of solid fuels Low rank solid fuels are upgraded by heating a mixture of particulate fuel and water to a temperature between 300° F. and the critical temperature of water under a pressure sufficient to maintain substantially all of the water in liquid state, cooling th... | 04/19/1977 |
| 4008924 | Process for reducing the settling rate of comminuted porous solids in a water-solids slurry Comminuted solids having a specific gravity greater than 1.0 and having a porosity greater than about 10% are maintained in suspension within a liquid-solids slurry by saturating the pores of the solids with a substance having a specific gravity lower tha... | 02/22/1977 |
| 4008053 | Process for treating organic wastes A process for treating the organic fraction of solid waste material with acid at an elevated temperature to form an embrittled material reducible to a powdered fuel having a caloric value and weight (on a dry basis) essentially equivalent to the waste mat... | 02/15/1977 |
| 3982052 | Method of treating wet coal granules A method and apparatus for drying wet coal granules or particles by introducing a liquid petroleum or coal derivative into the wet granular material, either before feeding into a dryer, or while it is fed, or at some point along the dryer cylinder embodyi... | 09/21/1976 |
| 3961913 | Process for treating organic wastes and product thereof A process for treating the organic fraction of solid waste material with acid at an elevated temperature to form an embrittled material reducible to a powdered fuel having a caloric value and weight (on a dry basis) essentially equivalent to the waste mat... | 06/08/1976 |
| 3938965 | Process for producing solid industrial fuel An improved process for producing solid fuel from woody materials, which fuel may be characterized as having a low and relatively nonabrasive ash, is described. The process includes the steps of carbonizing the woody materials to form charcoal; cooling, c... | 02/17/1976 |