What is coke? Why is it made – and how? If you would like some technical background on the topic of cokemaking, this is the place. Below you will find information on Acme and some plant specific processes, as well as general industry info.
Acme plant info
These documents were all taken from the US Dept. of Health and EPA website, specific to health hazards at Acme Coke.
Truncated version of an excellent discussion of the coke plant function as well as the blast furnace, with historic maps.
A four page paper on the importance of petrography and the use of petcoke, two hallmarks from the writing of it’s author, Acme’s Dr. Charles Lin.
General coke plant function
A useful primer on very basic components of a coke plant.
I have read a great many online sources for info on the function of a by product coke plant like Acme. This is a document I edited myself, from the best part of two different papers published by the EPA.
36 page pamphlet found at Acme. Produced by Koppers (coke oven designer) and the American Coke and Coal Chemicals Institute, this is an excellent layman’s guide to the function of a coke plant.
A very consice and simple explanation of a good portion of the by-products plant process (based on a now closed plant in New York state).
While introduced in 1869, by product coking was still not widespread, even in the early 1900s. When this was published in 1910, beehive coking was still very much used globally. This early text on BP coking has an excellent historical comparison between oven types which begins in chapter VI.
Coke Oven OEM info
Perhaps the Holy Grail. 55 pages (1977), found at Acme. An excellent primer course in coke plant ovens operations, and in this case specific to the plant.
Excerpt from a longer text to which I do not have access to. Makes references to a illustration which again, I do not have. Still, this provides much clarity to someone who has never worked in a coke plant, and it is specific to Acme (which is exactly where I found it).
Acme’s ovens were built over 50 years into the history of the plant and were of a unique (for the time) design.
Two part document, seemingly credited to Koppers. Dated 1983. ‘Case Studies’ lists detailed info for 25 plants (one page missing) on battery type and damage info. Both documents found at the Acme.
Other resources
Various technical documents – none specific to the plant, but all found there
Credit: Koppers Company Inc, 1956
Credit: Reserve Technology LTD, 1990
Credit: J.F. McDermott, US Steel, undated.
Uncredited; though page one appears to be on Wilputte letterhead (manufacturer of Acme’s ovens), 1971.
Credit: Walter Ahlers, Deutscher Kokereinausschuss, 1959 (translated from German)
Credit: James H. Carpenter, U.S. Dept. of Commerce. Presented at ACCC Regional Meeting (Chicago), 1957.
Credit: W. A. Knepper, P. L. Woolf, and H. R. Sanders. Presented at AISI regional meeting (Chicago), 1961.
Credit: Raymond E. Zimmerman, Paul Weir Co. Presented at AIME regional meeting (Chicago), 1977.
Credit: H. A. Grosick, Koppers Inc. Presented at Western States Blast Furnace and Coke Plant Association regional meeting (Chicago), 1971.
Credit: James E. Ludberg, Coke Plant Superintendent, Dominion Foundries and Steel, Limited (Dofasco), undated
Credit: Marubeni Corporation, Coal Department. Translated by Dr. Miyazu, Nippon Kokan KK, Japan, undated
Credit: John J. Quigley and Nathaniel Sayles, Inland Steel, East Chicago Indiana USA, undated
Credit: Roland Kemmetmueller, Waagner-Biro AG, Vienna Austria, undated
Credit: L.G. Benedict and R.R. Thompson, Bethelem Steel, Bethelem PA USA. Presented at Western States Blast Furnace and Coke Plant Association Regional Meeting (Merrillville Indiana), 1977
Credit: A.M. Hargis, A.T. Beckmann and J.J. Loiacono, American Heat Reclaiming Corp.