Per: bruno santos malaquias (usiminas), henriquison magela bottrel reis (usiminas), gerson evaristo de paula junior (usiminas)
Abstract:
The challenge in coke production is related to the preparation of coal blends that will produce the coke with the required quality for the use in blast furnaces. The influence of inert materials such as (petcoke [CVP], anthracyte and high inert carbon [CATI]) in the coal blends on texture and quality of coke was evaluated in a pilot scale. The results indicated that, for the blend evaluated, the addition of CVP up to 30% produced quality coke (DI15-150) suitable for the use in Usiminas blast furnaces. The main texture types presented were mosaic, fragmentary, fusite, anisotropic inert and remaining CVP. On the other hand, the addition of anthracyte caused a significant decrease of DI15-150 and CSR. Optical microscopy analyses revealed free particles in the coke matrix, contributing to the drop in quality. Additions of CATI to the coking blends resulted in a significant drop in coke quality, and predominance of mosaic type texture. In general, CVP was the only inert material tested that produced proper quality coke for blast furnace application. The high inert coal presented the worst result.