Studies on the Ash Chemistry of the Nigerian Enugu Coal as a Blend Component in Metallurgical Cokemaking.

The Nigerian non-coking Enugu and Australian medium coking coals were subjected to proximate and ash composition analyses to determine their suitability or otherwise as blend components for metallurgical cokemaking and pulverized injection into blast furnaces. From the analysis results, ash contents of 8.10% and 8.36%, acidity ratio (AR) of 15.22 and 18.22, mean basicity index (MBI) of 1.08 and 0.90 and total alkalis percent (TA) of 0.36% and 1.24% were determined for Enugu and Australian coals, respectively. When these results are compared with those of the self-coking Bulli Australian coal, the two coals have ash contents that are acceptable to form part of blends for metallurgical cokemaking and for injection into the blast furnace. The relatively low MBI and total alkalis contents determined for the two coals also strongly indicate that coke resulting from blends containing them may have acceptable coke strength after reaction (with carbon dioxide ) (CSR) values.