COKING OF COAL
COKE PRODUCTION
 It involves carbonization of coal at
high temperature (1100C) in
absence of oxygen to concentrate
carbon.
 As the temperature rises the fluidity
of mass reaches the maximum and
then the mass solidifies to form coke.
FEED
 Coking coal or metallurgical coal is
used as feed.
 It starts softening at 300C.
ECONOMICS
 1 ton of coal :
1500 pounds of coke,
15 gallons of liquid products.
CHEMICAL REACTION
4(C3H4)n
+ nCH4
Coke
nC6H6+ 5nC + 3nH2
coal
Benzene
Lighter hydrocarbon
The coking of coal is considered to
follow the approximate equation.
PROCESS UNITS
 Coal crusher and
screening
 Coke oven
 Gas generator
 Quenching car
 Coke crusher and
screening
 Condenser
 Tar extractor
 Reheater
Tar seperator
Lime still
Saturator
Centrifuge
Cooler
Oil scrubber
Oil still
Oxide purifier
Figure 1: "Coke Side" of a By-Product Coke
Oven Battery
 Figure 2:
Incandescent coke
in the oven waiting
to be "pushed".
MAJOR ENGINEERING
PROBLEMS
 Maintenance of refractory and
brickwork at high operating
temperatures, imposing severe
thermal strain.
 Maintenance of uniform coking
temperatures by proper heating and
waste gas circulations
USES OF COKE
 Coke is used as a fuel and as a reducing agent
in smelting iron ore in a blast furnace.
 Coke is sometimes used as a filter in whiskey
distilleries in which a mixture of coal and peat
is used.
 Discovered by accident to have superior heat
shielding properties when combined with other
materials.