[Retlaw]

Originally Posted by steeljack

I'm getting a bit confused with this tar and coke thing , I allways thought the old style gas works used coal in some sort of "oven/retort" to get the gas out and the 'by product' was coke but don't remember tar being produced . (least not at Gt. Harwood gas works )
Anyone know how they got the "tar" out of the coal ? or was Tar produced by further processing of the coke , dont remember any gasometers near the coke works by the canal near Blythes

hope the above makes sense

The gases that come of when coal is burnt in a confined space is distilled just like in an oil refinery, tar being the heaviest settles at the bottom, as many as 20 different substances can be obtained from those gases. I think its called fractional distillation

Retlaw.