(A) Petroleum coke (green coke or calcined coke) is a black, porous, solid residue resulting from the cracking or destructive distillation of petroleum or obtained from oils of bituminous minerals. It is used mainly as a raw material for the manufacture of electrodes (calcined coke) or as a fuel (green coke). (B) Petroleum bitumen (also known as petroleum pitch, refinery pitch, petroleum asphalt) is usually obtained as a residue of the distillation of crude petroleum. It is brown or black and may be soft or brittle. It is used for road-surfacing, waterproofing, etc. Petroleum bitumen which has been slightly modified by air-blowing is similar to unblown bitumen and remains in this heading. (C) Other residues of petroleum oils include : (1) Extracts derived from the treatment of lubricating oils with certain selective solvents. (2) Petroleum gum and other resinous substances obtained from petroleum. (3) Acid residues and spent bleaching earths, containing a proportion of oil. Bitumen, coke and other residues fall in this heading if they result from the treatment of shale oils or of other oils obtained from bituminous minerals. The heading does not cover : (a) Water-soluble naphthenates or water-soluble petroleum sulphonates (including those containing a certain proportion of mineral oils), such as those of alkali metals, of ammonium or of ethanolamines (heading 34.02). (b) Water-insoluble naphthenates or water-insoluble petroleum sulphonates (heading 38.24, provided they are not covered by a more specific heading). (c) Naphthenic acids, crude or refined (heading 38.24).
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