325,816. Rahmann, E. Nov. 27, 1928. Mineral waxes, extracting. - Artificial resin and wax as well as complex hydrocarbons such as chrysene, fluorene, pyrene, fluoranthrene, retene, and picene are obtained from coal distillation residues such as tar, pitch, &c. by mixing the residue with a contact agent as specified, melting the mixture, and distilling it with steam in a retort. The contact agents comprise iron chloride and iron oxide, aluminium chloride and aluminium oxide, calcium chloride and calcium oxide, calcium chloride and aluminium oxide, or magnesium chloride and magnesium oxide. Crude montan wax is also preferably added to the mixture, and hydrogen may be added with the steam. The mixture is melted in a retort a heated externally in a furnace and steam is passed in from a supply conduit d through a flexible metal hose e to a pipe system g of star formation provided with a large number of nozzles. Oil and water pass over at 100-220‹ C., anthracene oil at 220-300‹, and a reddish resin at 360-450‹ C. The wax and resin may be melted with montax wax and used in the manufacture of varnish dyes and impregnating materials. The 220-300‹ C. fraction when treated in the known manner with sodium or sodamide yields fluorene, while the products passing over above 360‹ C. when treated with carbon-disulphide give chrysenes on filtration. 26 kg. coal tar pitch mixed with 500 gm. iron chloride. 500 gm. iron oxide, and 300 gm. montan wax yield 8400 gm. wax and resin, 2500 gm. anthracene oil, and 1550 gm. coke.