Petroleum Coke is processed at high temperatures to drive off volatile organic components prior to use in the manufacture of electrodes for the aluminum and other metallurgical industries.

The high temperature processing presents unique air pollution problems because of the high temperatures of gases discharged from the calciners, but also offers major energy conservation opportunities. The interaction between the pollution abatement functions and energy recovery system is described for several circumstances found in captive calcining units (operated in petro-leum refineries or in aluminum reduction plants) as well as for the stand-alone plant..