Influence of Inherently Present Oxygen-Functional Groups on Coal Fluidity and Coke Strength

The effect of various oxygen-containing compounds added and/or inherent O-species on coal fluidity and coke strength has been investigated in detail. When several O-containing compounds, which have different O-containing groups, are added independently to caking coal, the MF value almost decreases, and the extent of the decrease being ether < ketone < lactone < hydroxyl < acid anhydride < < ether/hydroxyl/lactone < carboxyl group. The COOH content in four coals used increases with decreasing C%, and the MF values decrease with increasing the content. The evolution of gaseous O-containing species (CO, CO2, and H2O) during carbonization at 3 °C/min of four coals up to 400 °C has been studied mainly with a flow-type quartz-made fixed-bed reactor to clarify the effect of the amount of O-containing gases evolved with the Gieseler fluidity of coal particles. A positive correlation is found between the amount of CO, CO2, or H2O evolved up to 400 °C and the COOH content in coal. However, a negative correlation between MF and O-containing gases evolved up to 400 °C is observed. It is suggested that the COOH amount and/or O-containing gases evolved have adverse effects on the thermoplasticity of coal. When the indirect tensile strength of coke prepared from pelletized samples is plotted against MF values, a positive correlation is found, whereas an inverse correlation is observed between the indirect tensile strength and COOH in coals used or the O-containing gases evolved up to 400 °C during carbonization. These observations indicate that some of the oxygen-functional groups naturally present in coal have a negative effect on coal fluidity and that this effect is particularly strong in carboxyl, which can readily be decomposed into gaseous oxygen-containing species during heating up to the initial softening temperature.