Low-Cost Ironmaking: Metallurgical Coal Prospective

Abstract

The hot strength and mechanical strength of metallurgical coke are the critical parameters for efficient blast furnace operation. Therefore, producing the desired qualities of coke like coke strength after reaction, coke reactivity index, and coke M10/M40 is essential for optimizing the cost and productivity of hot metal. Hence, the intrinsic property of coal is necessary for designing the adequate quality of the coal blend. The coal quality also helps the coke oven plant’s operational efficiency and the coke oven’s health. The quality of coke is significantly influenced by the quality of different categories, viz., primary hard coking coal, hard coking coal, soft coking coal and semi-soft coking coal of individual coals used in the coal blend. The impacts of these coals directly influence coke properties because all coals have an inherent characteristic with different coking potentials in terms of value-in-use. Also, the technological and techno-commercial changes in the metallurgical coal market of today differ from past decades. Likewise, the future metallurgical coal market will vary from today’s market. The technological and techno-commercial change in the metallurgical coal market has varied vastly in the past few decades. Likewise, the future metallurgical coal market will differ from today’s market. Therefore, a process for evaluating the coking potential of metallurgical coal shall be used for appropriate value-in-use to produce quality coke with the optimum cost. The paper describes the significance of the value-in-use of metallurgical coal to evaluate the most economically favourable technique for producing the desired coke quality.