The Important Factors of Coke Pore Formation: Collaboration and Competition between Coal Fluidity and Volatile Fraction

High temperature dry distillation of bituminous coal to make metallurgical coke is one of the main ways of coal conversion and utilization. Coke is porous and the pore structure largely affects the strength, permeability and reactivity of the coke. This thesis explores the key factors affecting the formation of coke pore structure. The thermolytic flow processes of various coking coals were examined by Gieseler plastometry. The volatile fraction release process of these coking coals was examined by a thermogravimetric analyzer at the same rate of heating up, and analyzed the relationships between the average pore size, average wall thickness of coke and the volatile fraction release, flow characteristics of coking coal. It was found that the average pore size of coke can be well predict by using the volatile fraction accumulation in the second later of the softening flow of coking coal. The ratio of flow accumulation to volatile fraction accumulation during softening of coking coal can be used to better predict the average thickness of pore walls of coke. The results of this study may provide a method to predict and regulate the coke pore structure in coke production.