Coal in the manufacture of metallurgical coke
Metallurgical coal is a special type of coal that is used in making metallurgical coke. There are two types of coal used to make metallurgical coke: hard coking coal and semi-hard coking coal, which is ideal for coking because it melts, swells, and solidifies again when placed in a large furnace. be. This type of coal also has few impurities. A third type of metallurgical coal, PCI, is sometimes used in steel or iron making to replace more expensive metallurgical coke.
Analysis of metallurgical coke
Coke is created by heating metallurgical coal to about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. According to the World Coal Association, the coking process takes about 12 to 36 hours in the oven. After exiting the furnace, the coke is cooled with water or air before being stored or fed directly into the blast furnace. According to the US Energy Information Administration, the final product is approximately two-thirds the weight of the raw material.
Factors affecting the quality of metallurgical coke
High-quality coke is usually made from high-quality coal. Coke manufacturers usually use coal blending to improve the quality of coke produced. A quality coal should not put too much pressure on the furnace wall and should be small enough to allow easy removal from the face coke oven. According to the American Iron and Steel Institute, coke properties and process performance are affected by moisture content, density, coal weathering and several other factors.
Uses of metallurgical coke
Regarding the use of metallurgical coke, it should be said that it is mainly used in the production of iron, which in turn is used as the main material of steel. The World Coal Association describes the iron making process as follows. During a typical method of iron making, iron ore, coke and small amounts of minerals used to collect impurities are placed in a blast furnace. Superheated air is blown into the furnace and causes the coke to burn. This burning produces carbon monoxide, which reacts with the iron ore and provides the heat to melt the hot iron. The valve at the bottom of the furnace allows molten iron as well as impurities to escape from the furnace.