What is coking coal and where it is used

The Increase in oil prices and the search for alternative sources of energy not only led to the development of new technologies, but pay attention to the other, not less useful raw materials – charcoal. Most important for industry is the coking coal. What is its value and where it is produced – outlined in this article.

What is coking coal

This is coal, from which in the conditions of coking coke a certain strength and size. It is of great value to industry and are in high demand in many industries. Thus, coking coal is used as main fuel for steel production and energy.

Coking coals are distinguished from other coals by the tendency to turn into plastic state and sintered at high temperatures without oxygen.

Structure of coking coal

Coking coal concentrate and raw form is characterized by low ash content (less than 10 %), low content of volatile components (15 to 37 %) and sulfur (less than 3.5 %). Compared to other types of coal coking coals have high combustion temperatures and are characterized by a lower content of impurities. The ratio of component substances in different deposits of coal may vary slightly. It is very important to consider in the process of coking. So, before processing of coal is necessarily defined by its composition, carbon, sintering behavior and other indicators. In the post-Soviet space is used for coking such coals:

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• K – coke.
• F – greasy.
• D – gas.
• OS – otomano-caking.
• SS – salinosporamide.

The coking Process

Under the coking mean the process of converting coal to coke. It consists of several stages. The first phase involves preparation of coal for coking. The coal is pulverized to form a special blend of – charge. The next stage is coking. It occurs in special chambers coke ovens with gas heating. The prepared charge is placed in an oven for 15 hours, where all this time is increasing the temperature to 1000ºC. as a result of this process is “coke cake”.

The Technology of coking during the twentieth century have changed that made it possible to develop new coal deposits.

According to estimates, about 10 % of the global production of coal is a coking process. This fact confirms the presence of high industry demand for coking coal.

What is different coking and thermal coal

The Greatest value for the industry provide the coking coal used as process fuel in many manufacturing industries. For example, for iron smelting. The main feature that distinguishes coking coal from energy – the presence of vitren. This is the ash component of the coal, which is formed by the decomposition of plants in the absence of oxygen. Properties vitren lies in the ability to melt and sintered under high temperature. Thus, micro-particles of coal together into one solid mass. The greater the concentration of vitren, the higher quality coking coal.

The Greatest quantity of fusible substances contained in such brands of coal: coking, gas, fat, otomano-caking and coking fat.

Coal Brand

In nature, there are many varieties of coal that differ technical staff, rates of caking and yield of volatile components. For coking only a few grades of coal. But not all of them suitable for sintering in pure form. Sometimes it is necessary to add some components. So there are following grades of coking coal:

1. K – coke. During the coking of this brand of charcoal in the pure form obtained certified metallurgical coke. To produce charcoal of the highest quality adding other stamps – a fat or gas.
2. QL – coke fat. Has the best carbon, mainly used for coke production without the addition of other grades of coal. In coke fat coal contains up to 30% of volatile components. Reflection vitren – 1.3 per cent. The thickness of the plastic layer is 18 mm. Without changes in the quality of coke may be added to this brand to 20% of KS, OS and CO.
3. TO – coke tomeny. Formation thickness is 10-12 mm, the reflection vitren – up to 1 %. Typically, this mark is not used separately but only in conjunction with LCD and GZH coal.
4. IOS – coke low-caking Nizhnetagilsky. During sintering of this kind of coal forms a pure coke with low strength, so it is mainly used for sintering with other brands or for the production of synthetic gas.
5. COP – low-caking coke. The thickness of the plastic layer up to 9 mm. is Characterized by a low sintering behavior. The coal of the COP used by the coke plants as a component emaciated. Also itused in some areas of production for layer combustion.
6. Ledger – gas coking. Coking gives a well-fused coke, but with low mechanical strength. The product of sintering is easily divided into small pieces. Typically, gas coal is used in blends with other coals katsushima.

Best for sintering are coking coal grades: a fat, caking, gas, otomano-caking and coke in its purest form. They contain the least amount of impurities and they have high plasticity.

Scope

The Main purpose of coking coal – industrial fuel. During the burning of coal emits large amounts of thermal energy. Thus, the temperature of ignition of this fuel is 470ºC. But the burning – not the only way to extract useful properties from this fossil. There are many other sectors of the economy, in which efficient use of coking coal. The use of this natural resource in industrial processes allows to obtain from it lead, molybdenum, zinc, germanium, sulfur, gallium and other chemicals. Industrial applications are also waste of the coal industry. So, they are processed into refractory materials and abrasives. Also waste produced from building materials.

A total of stone fuel produce more than 300 varieties of products. Coal is used as main material for the production of carbon and graphite structural elements, vysokozolnyj acids, which are used in fertilizers. Effective use of have substances that are in the coking process. So, during distillation is formed in coal tar and the ammonia water. They are also recyclable.

In addition, the coking process is allocated gaseous products that contain benzene, phenol, ammonia, and toluene. They are sources of other nutrients.

Mining of coking coal in Ukraine

Coking coal in Ukraine is mainly used on metallurgical enterprises. So, metallurgy account for about 90% of total demand for this fuel. The mining industry provides the country's coking coal the domestic market is around 60%. The remaining 40 % of the consumed coal is imported. The main supplier of coking coal to Ukraine is Russia.

In recent years the country has seen a growth in demand for foreign raw materials. This is due to the decline in domestic production. Also, domestic demand for raw materials falls due to decline in its quality, as the steel plants can use coal with a high sulfur content.

In Ukraine coking coal is mined in the basins: Donetsk, Lviv-Volyn and Dnieper river. The largest number of coal reserves are concentrated in the Donetsk, Luhansk and Dnipropetrovsk regions. At the moment, due to political instability coking coal mining in the East of Ukraine suspended.

Coal Mining in Russia

On the territory of Russia there are large deposits of coal. According to figures, the country is one of the first places in the world for coal reserves. More than 67 % of them in coal. Of these, 10 % are coking coals.

In Russia, coking coal is mined in the basins: Kuznetsk, Pechora, South Yakut, Donetsk and Kizel. The first two pools produced coal in the largest quantity.

The Reserves of coking coal in Russia amount to 47.3 billion tons. However, only a small part is usable. In recent years, the coking coal production in Russia is at the level of 70 million tons per year. This is enough to provide the raw material for industrial enterprises of the country.

Coking coal in Russia is mined at a steady pace. The growth of coal production will take place in the event of an increase in demand for this raw material, due to the development of the metallurgical and related industries of the Russian economy.

Prospects of the market of coking coal

In the coming years, the Russian coal industry will change. Key areas of industry development would relate to the vertical system of coal production. Thus, the state policy provides for the establishment on the basis of coal mines of energy facilities of small and medium power. Also plan to install at coal mines equipment designed to process coal in environmentally friendly synthetic fuels.

With regard to sales volumes, the demand for coking coal in Russia will grow. The fact that in addition to steel mills coke uses non-ferrous metallurgy and many other industries. So, to produce 1 ton of pig iron requires about 0.4 t of coke. And alternative technologies that allow it to be replaced by more effective resource, restrictions apply.

Trends in the global coking coal market

At the moment, many coal companies all countries are experiencing a crisis of declining prices for coking coal. This problem is aggravated States that put coke in excessive amounts. Also a big impact on prices has the desire of buyers to reducecosts. Another unfortunate situation arises because of the desire of steel producers to reduce production costs. In Europe and in China demand for coking coal continues to grow, but this is due to the production of higher categories. But in General, the volume of purchases of raw materials on world markets are falling.

Slightly stabilized the situation with energy resources in the U.S. market. But the price continues to fall because of lower demand for steel. As a result, can be reduced coking coal production in the United States and Europe.

But experts predict the growth of imports of energy raw materials in India. The volume of imports of coking coal this country is ranked third in the world.

The Cost of raw materials

In the second quarter of 2015, a decrease of prices for coking coal. Large global companies that offer raw materials at a price that is 5–10 % lower compared to the first quarter. So, a South African company, Anglo American suggested that Japan's coking coal of the highest quality at 116 US dollars for 1 ton. The average price for 1 ton of coking coal is 117 U.S. dollars.