Assessing the quality of blast-furnace coke

A. K. Tarakanov,
V. P. Lyalyuk,
D. A. Kassim

In the last few decades, research on the relation between coke quality and blastfurnace performance has demonstrated the exceptional importance of this topic.
We now know how much coke quality affects blast-furnace performance, but we
have yet to identify the specific coke characteristics that are critical in optimizing
the batch composition and the coking technology.
The requirements on the technical analysis of coke and its initial strength (M25,
M40, M10 are obvious and uncontroversial. Problems arise in considering the
requirements on the reactivity CRI and post reactive strength CSR, which are
almost functionally related.
Thanks to extensive monitoring of coke reactivity and the considerable reduction
in reactivity adopted globally over the past twenty years, we see that lowreactivity coke may have both desirable and undesirable properties, which
complicates the assessment of coke quality.
In the present work, we investigate rational approaches to the quality
assessment of blast-furnace coke in current conditions.
As we know, coke has a number of important functions in the blast furnace: as a
fuel (supplying heat); as a reducing agent; as an aerator of the batch in the
furnace's dry zone and in the cohesion zone (the zone where the iron on is
softened); and as drainage packing in the lower part of the furnace. The first is
the primary function, determining the coke consumption in the smelting of unit
quantity of hot metal, in accordance with the thermal balance in the lower stage
of heat transfer. The coke consumption also determines other important furnace
characteristics: its productivity and the cost of hot metal. Coke's role as a
reducing agent affects its consumption, through the influence of reduction
processes on the heat intake in the lower part of the furnace. The first two
functions of coke may be performed by any other fuel introduced with the batch
or by gas injection.
The role of coke in aeration of the batch and as drainage packing depends on its
piece size, consumption, and disintegration in the furnace. With disintegration of
the coke and reduction in its content in the batch, the gas-dynamic conditions in
the furnace are impaired and may be seriously disrupted, the productivity falls,
and the ore distribution over the cross section will be less uniform, with further
undesirable consequences for the productivity and the coke consumption.
One function of coke cannot be replaced by other solid fuels: its role as drainage
packing, so that hot metal and slag may flow without obstacle to the lower part
of the hearth between the coke pieces. Disruption of this function, which

prevents normal furnace operation, may be described as clogging of the hearth

and depends on numerous factors besides the properties of the coke. Clogging of
the hearth by coke fines and finely disperse carbon will not occur if the small carbon materials in the depth of the hearth are actively gasified by the iron slag and
the ground coke in the hearth is replaced by large pieces. Iron slag is formed
naturally with partial oxidation of the hot metal flowing to the hearth at the
tuyeres. For small furnaces, the oxidative zones of the tuyeres cover the hearth
cross section more completely than in large furnaces, and much of the hot metal
is oxidized at the tuyeres. Therefore, clogging of the hearth is a particular
problem in large furnaces, where a mass of largely immobile coke that is almost
impermeable to the liquid slag forms at the center of the hearth on account of
the relatively low temperatures.
Clogging of the hearth is also associated with characteristic temperature
fluctuations of the hot metal. At intake, it is always saturated with carbon. On
heating, the carbon from the coke dissolves in the hot metal in the lower part of
the intake section, with corresponding decrease in size of the coke particles. As
the hot metal cools, the solubility of carbon is reduced, and graphite foam is
released; the foam rises to the melt surface in the hearth and hinders slag
drainage.
In the event of stable clogging, relatively insoluble flushing agents must be
regularly added to the blast furnace; the slag is heated to improve its drainage.
with disruption of the furnace processes and the gas-flux distribution and
consequent increase in coke consumption. Before coal-dust injection at rates of
150-200 kg/t of hot metal, the coke consumption in the blast furnace is usually
more than 400 kg/t; there is relatively little crushing of the coke in the furnace;
and the oxidative potential of the tuyeres is high. As a result, the drainage
properties of the coke packing are not so critical. In that case, the basic
requirement on the coke is high strength in the initial state (M25, Mm, and ii/10).
With the widespread introduction of coal-dust injection abroad and corresponding
reduction in coke consumption in the blast furnace to 300-350 kg/t of hot metal,
the residence time of coke and its degree of crushing increased considerably. The
residual strength and piece size of the coke were the main factors ensuring
normal blast-furnace operation in the new conditions.
Many researchers have shown that high reactivity of coke leads to intense
reaction with gaseous CO2 and H2), surface incineration, loosening of the
structure, and increased disintegration of the coke in the lower part of the
furnace.
From the beginning of research on coke's reactivity (for example, [1]), its relation
to the coke consumption has been explained as follows: with increase in CRI or
coke, the reaction of coke carbon with the CO2 and H2O formed by indirect
reduction of iron is intensified, with corresponding increase in direct reduction,
the heat consumption in the process, and the coke consumption. Numerous
publications have demonstrated the direct relation between the coke
consumption and CRI. This seems to confirm the proposed explanation, although

in fact the influence of the low reactivity of coke on the coke consumption in this
case depends on a very different mechanism. The use of low-reactivity coke
eliminates clogging of the hearth without the need for flushing agents,
normalizes furnace operation and slag drainage in the hearth, creates conditions
for a more uniform distribution of the gas flux and ore over the furnace cross
section, improves the gas utilization, and consequently reduces the coke
consumption.
However, given that the blast furnace is a counter-flow mass and heat
exchanger, we may imagine a scenario in which the coke consumption increases
with decrease in its reactivity. In the blast furnace, the demand for coke is
determined by the lower stage of heat transfer, where the specific heat of the
batch is greater than the specific heat of the gas flux. Modification of the
temperature boundary between the lower and upper heat-transfer zones
unavoidably affects the zonal heat balances and hence the required coke
consumption.
The temperature in the zone of slow heat transfer (the backup zone) is
determined by the temperature at which the specific heat of the batch flux is
compared with the specific heat of the gas flux. Increase in backup-zone
temperature is associated with slowing of the Boudoard reaction (CO2 + C = 2C0
166 kJ/mol) at 800-950C, when the coke reactivity is reduced. Other
conditions being equal, raising the temperature at the boundary between the
upper and lower stages of heat transfer reduces the heat uptake in the lower
part of the furnace, where the heat consumption determines the coke
consumption.
Such temperature variation with variation in coke reactivity was recorded by
Japanese researchers using a vertical probe [2]. Their results for coke with a
reactivity of 33.2%, rather than 23.3%, confirm that the coke consumption is
reduced by 10 kg/t of hot metal. To obtain such reduced coke reactivity, the
researchers had to activate the coal batch with additions of CaO. The
composition of Ukrainian coal, by contrast, is such that the production of lowreactivity coke is highly problematic. With increase in CRI, the coke consumption
may be additionally reduced on account of less developed direct reduction of
iron; this is perfectly feasible, as confirmed by other Japanese researchers [3, 4].
The Japanese offer a consistent account of their observations: that the coke
reactivity affects the indirect reduction of iron by intensifying the reduction of
iron oxides below 1100C; and that this raises the initial temperature of sinter
softening, with maintenance rig the _porous structure to higher temperatures [5].
However, these processes can hardly play the decisive role in changing the
reduction of iron in the blast furnace.
Below 1150C, the rate of indirect reduction of iron (FeO + CO = Fe + CO2) may
be significantly higher than the gasification rate of coke. However, below
1000C, this reaction is slowed because the gas composition is close to
equilibrium. In that case, indirect reduction of iron depends on the prior
regeneration of CO in the reaction CO2 + C = 2CO. The activation of coke

gasification with increase in its reactivity may ultimately increase the indirect
reduction of iron and improve CO utilization (Fig. 1).
The scope for reducing coke consumption with increase in coke reactivity
increases with increase in the total fuel consumption (per 1 t of hot metal), which
determines the specific heat of the gas flux in the blast furnace. With the
baseline coke consumption of 480 kg/t, the coke reactivity may be increased if its
consumption is reduced by 20-30 kg/t [2].

Technology Advancement and Equipment

Upgrading in Agglomeration and BlastFurnace Process
S. T. Pliskanovskiy1 ,
V. I. Bolshakov2
Analysis of experience of blast furnace No. 8 reconstruction at JSC "Arselor Mittal
Kryvyy Rih" described in paper [5] is worthy attention. A series of actual
engineering solutions in relation to advancement of charge supply and iron
receiver of the furnace with application of advanced refractories were
implemented in this furnace. Furnace shaft cooling systems, equipment of
casting yard and iron-notch tappers were improved, advanced aspiration systems
were created.
New smelting process automated control systems were installed, however, they
are not completely used for blast furnace control because of design deficiencies
(in the construction of cone-free loading device with spade charge distributor in
the interconic space). In our opinion, installation of cone-free loading device of
any construction allows increasing possibilities of charge radial distribution in the
furnace, enhancing productivity and reducing coke rate.
Paper [6] describes the experience of using anthracitic coal that after special
treatment is charged into blast furnace and enables to substitute a part of coke
for iron smelting. Today, this method is applied on a number of blast furnaces of
Ukraine and ensures substitution of up to 50 kg of coke per each ton of pig-iron
by approximately 70 kg of anthracitic coal. Attempts to increase anthracitic coal
consumption (> 70 kg/t) led to problems in blast furnace operation because of
declined permeability of melting-stock column.
The new possibilities of analysis of interrelation between charge distribution and
gases in the furnace allowed Z.I. Nekrasov Iron & Steel Institute of National
Academy of Sciences of Ukraine to create a combined mathematical model and
also calculation procedure of charge materials distribution on 10 equal-sized ring
zones of furnace cross-section [7]. This combined model allows studying
processes of charge heating and smelting depending on charge materials
distribution defined by loading program, estimating influence of parameters of

axial and peripheral air holes on heat flow distribution pattern, which
considerably defines coke rate, stability of blast furnace operation and heat loss.
Analysis of current state of pig iron production at iron & steel plants of Ukraine
and foreign countries allows outlining the following trends of technology
advancement, upgrading equipment and iron smelting process control systems.
1. The key line in pig iron production efficiency increase and reduction of power
consumption is improvement in quality of iron-bearing materials and coke. Iron
content in the fluxed sinter should be 56-58 %, in fluxed pellets -65-68 % at their
basic capacity 0.15-0.7. It is necessary to screen off fractions 0-5 mm before
furnace loading. Hot impact strength of coke CSR should be 65-75 %, and
reactive capacity CRI = 30-40 %. 2. Energy cost reduction in pig iron production
from 650-750 kg of coal equivalent per ton to 450-550 kg of coal equivalent per
ton. For this purpose it is necessary to increase degree of utilization of
regenerative and thermal energy of hearth gas (% CO2 in blast-furnace gas
should be not less than 18-22 % with CO2 content adjustment in the crude
chalkstone loaded into blast furnace) at temperature of gas on the blast-furnace
mouth 250-350 C. These indexes of blast-furnace operation can be achieved at
controlled loading conditions and charge materials distribution on the blastfurnace mouth. 3. Maintenance of blast furnace stable operation on the fuelenriched blast heated up to 1100-1200 C without natural gas application. For
this purpose it is necessary to maintain theoretical temperature of burning within
1950-2050 C. This can be achieved, for example, by coal injection
(approximately 2 kg of pulverized coal fuel instead of 1 m3 of natural gas) or wet
blowing (9 C per I g/m3 of blowing).
4. Implementation of constructive measures (not only at construction, but also
during capital repairs and blast furnace reconstruction) in order to provide
operation period till 18-20 years and iron smelting for this period of 45-60 million
tons. It is necessary to equip blast furnaces with cone-free loading devices,
advanced equipment of charge feeding and application of advanced automated
control systems in order to solve this problem. 5. To ensure heating of blast up to
1100-1200 C due to reconstruction of hot-blast stoves (external combustion
chambers, Kalugin's stoves, gas and air heating at the expense of smoke gas
heat utilization, etc.) without natural gas application for hot-blast stove checker
work heating. 6. Improvement of slag practice and application of non blast
furnace pig-iron treatment in ladles, which will allow reducing sulfur content in
pig-iron down to 0.005 %. Slag yield at Ukrainian plants is still great 450-550 kg/t
of pigiron. This is unsatisfactory quality index of charge materials. 7. Non-waste pig
iron production a complete utilization of blast-furnace dust, iron-bearing
slurries and casting yard aspiration dust, slag processing, circulating scrap
processing, blast-furnace gas usage. Installation of gas utilizing turbines allows
compensating 20-30 % of electric power necessary for pig iron production. 8.
Improved training of specialists. High schools are the principal "suppliers" of
young specialists at the enterprises. However, additional knowledge and
experience are required under conditions of market economic relations, so post-

qualifying education of specialists, including second (allied) profession and

further periodic training are required. State Institute of Personnel Training for
Manufacturing Industry solves this problem for enterprises of mining and
smelting industry in Ukraine.
Conclusions
Complicated, material and energy consuming metallurgical process of iron
smelting requires further analysis and investigation related to advancement of
technology, equipment and blast furnace operation automated control facilities.
However, minimum money resources are provided for research work that should
be carried out by scientists of scientific research institute and high schools. Such
"saving" leads to decrease of competitive strength of products.