Coking plant
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A coking plant is used to produce coke (coking coal) from metallurgical coal. Coking plants consist of coke ovens (aka coking ovens, coke furnaces, coking furnaces).[1]
Coal is used to reduced iron ore to produce pig iron (aka hot metal) in the blast furnace (BF). However, it cannot be burned directly in the furnace because it contains numerous harmful by-products that gets generated. In addition, coal is not strong enough to carry the blast furnace load. The coal thus has to be first converted into coke.[2] Coke is a more refined form of coal.[3]
Coal is heated to temperatures up to 1250°C in the coke ovens, in the absence of oxygen. This process is referred to as “dry distillation.” It takes about 18 hours to convert 35 tonnes of coal into 25 tonnes of coke.[4] The process involves burning coal to high temperatures which softens coal to liquid form and burns off impurities, leaving behind highly refined coke.[5] The coke is then transferred from the coke oven into the coke quenching tower by a pusher machine. In the quenching tower, the coke is then rapidly cooled/quenched with water, left to dry and later on, crushed.[2] The finished coke is about two-thirds the weight of the input coal.[4]
The dry distillation process generates large amounts of gas and smoke, which when purified gives coke oven gas, and other by-products including ammonia, tar, sulfur, naphthalene, and benzol. Coking of coal also generates carbon monoxide.[4]
Raw Material(s):
- Metallurgical coal is a special type of coal used for making metallurgical coke necessary to reduce iron ore in the blast furnace.
Product(s):
- Coke (coking coal) is the refined form of coal, and is used as a reducing agent for converting iron ore to molten pig iron in a blast furnace.
Decarbonisation Strategies
- Using high quality coal helps in reducing emissions like sulfur oxide and other pollutants and fuel consumption during the coking process.[4][5]
- Enclosed coal conveyors and handling, adding windbreaks and reducing drop distances help reduce pollution from ash or particulate matter.[4]
- In a heat recovery system, the hot waste gases from the coke oven are sent to a boiler to create steam and generate electricity.[5]
- Injection of pulverised coal into the blast furnace help reduce the consumption of coke.[5]
References
- ↑ Coking Plant, ScienceDirect, Retrieved on: Sep. 21, 2020
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "coking plant". ArcelorMittal in Belgium. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
- ↑ "What Is Metallurgical Coke?". Sciencing. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "How a Coke Plant Works". gaspgroup.org. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "How does coke and coal play into steel making? - Federal Steel Supply". 2016-06-22. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
External links
- Environmental Control and Emission Reduction for Coking Plants | IntechOpen
- How a Coke Plant Works (gaspgroup.org)
Abeckford21 (talk) 23:02, 12 July 2021 (UTC)
