News on Screen

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 17th Year

Issue

Issue No.

7

Date Released

Mar 1964

Length of issue (in feet)

964

Stories in this Issue:

• 1. END OF THE ROAD
• 2. NO SMOKING
• 3. HELEN
• 4. CZECH MATE

Story

Story No. within this Issue

2 / 4

Summary

BFI synopsis: The production of a new smokeless fuel by the NCB, hexagonal in shape, which burns with a bright flame - Homefire.
NCB Commentary - In the Warwickshire countryside, the backroom boys have come up with an idea which positively cuts out smoking.
Their experiments have nothing to do with ‘my lady nicotine’, - but to develop a new smokeless fuel. In order to get into production, the engineers built a complicated - looking structure which is really quite simple. It’s another backroom idea which really works. This pilot plant translates laboratory research into mass-production.
The process uses small coal, which is plentiful, and it starts off with a good wash. It’s then carried into the plant to be crushed and dried.
If you blow heated air through fine ground coal it will behave like a liquid, as this laboratory demonstration shows.
The coal will flow and absorb heat quickly, like water in a kettle.
The scientists found that by carefully-controlled heating they could remove the smoky tars and nothing more.
What worked in the laboratory can work on a larger scale - in the plant’s fluidiser. In the time it takes to smoke a cigarette, the smoky, tar-laden vapours are removed.
The carbonised coal leaves the fluidiser as powder; char - they call it. A little later it comes off the press as briquettes - hexagonal in shape which when piled in the fireplace are less likely to roll off the fire than round ones.
No smoke - just a warm inviting glow with a friendly flame ... perfect setting for a cup of char, in front of the char, so to speak.

Keywords

Industry and manufacture; Mining; Fuels

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
Viewing Copy - bfi screenonline
The British National Film Catalogue   Vol.2 1964, p.55
The National Archives COAL 32   /13 Scripts for Mining Review, 1960-1963
BFI Screenonline synopsis   ID No.721616

Credits:

Producer

John Reid

Commentator

John Slater

Sponsor

National Coal Board

Production Co.

National Coal Board Film Unit

Cutter

Robert Vas