Developing a new coal coking technology. [USSR]

As part of a number devoted to the half centenary of VUKhIN, the authors describe the Institute's continuing contribution to coking techniques and technology. In the field of formed coke deriving from Sapozhnikov's work in the forties, the authors studied weakly-caking and gas coals from the eastern USSR as a basis for formed coke production after suitable blending. Main difficulties concerned the precise highspeed heating end temperature. Coke stress patterns were used to study the sintering and calcining stages, followed by oven design for maximum heat exchange. It is hoped that plentiful opencast reserves will prove amenable to formed coking. A carbonised briquetted fuel has been made on the pilot scale comprising 80-86% anthracite, semi-anthracite, fat or weakly-caking coal, 5-10% caking coal and 8% binder, giving a low porosity, low reactivity product. Coke for electrothermal processes is produced from 50-13 mm weakly-caking coal which is carbonised in ring ovens and graded for use in the production of phosphorus, calcium carbide and ferro-alloys. A fluidised bed process is used to produce coke suitable for ore sinter, utilising high volatile brown coal.