Influence of Heating Conditions on the Strength of Coke Produced from Slightly-Caking Coal Containing Chemically-Loaded Thermoplastic Components

In this work, we studies the production of higher-strength coke from chemically-loaded coal in which noncovalent-bonds between O-functional groups in coal are cleaved by pyridine and HPC-derived thermoplastic components are introduced into the pores produced by swelling. The effect of heating rate up to thermoplasticity temperatures of coal on coke strength is first investigated. To examine synergistic effects due to further fluidity enhancements caused by the increased proximity of coal to thermoplastic components during carbonization, the influence of heating rate on coke-strength prepared from pelleted-coal also examined, as described above, to clarify the optimal heating conditions for yielding high-strength coke from slightly-caking coal. An investigation of the use of a SUS-tube to produce high-strength coke from slightly-caking coal with chemically-loaded HPC pyridine-soluble components reveals that high-strength coke may be obtained by 20 degrees C/min to 400 degrees C and then continuing to heat at 3 degrees C/min to 1 000 degrees C. On the other hand, when producing coke from formed specimens consisting of slightly-caking coal with chemically-loaded HPC pyridine- soluble components, we exhibit that, by heating first at 20 degrees C/min to 500-600 degrees C and then heating at 3 degrees C/min to 900 degrees C, it is possible to produce coke whose strength rivals that of coke produced by carbonization at 3 degrees C/min of strongly-caking coal. In addition, in producing high-strength coke from formed slightly-caking coal, an optimal amount of additive is present for all types of additive considered - HPC physical blend, chemically-loaded pyridine-soluble HPC and physical blend of pyridine-insoluble HPC components - and, with chemically-loaded pyridine-soluble HPC, it is possible to prepare particularly high-strength coke.