Effect of Woody Biomass Addition on Coke Properties

The price of caking coal, which is used in the production of metallurgical coke, has risen in recent years. Also of concern is the amount of CO2 emitted from steel industries, comprising approximately 15% of total CO2 emissions in Japan. Therefore, CO2 emissions from the ironmaking process should be reduced to avoid global warming. In this work, fundamental research is conducted on the effect of adding woody biomass to the properties of coke, with the aim of possibly using woody biomass, which is carbon neutral, as a raw material in coke-making. Experimental results showed that the connectivity between coal particles in the coke sample during carbonization and coke strength drastically decrease by adding woody biomass to caking coal. However, the coke properties of the coke sample with added woody biomass could be improved by removing the partly volatile matter of woody biomass before mixing with caking coal, and as a result, the possibility of using woody biomass as a raw material for coke-making with prior carbonization at temperatures of more than 500 degrees C was found.