A Study on Bio-Coke Production—The Influence of Bio-Components Addition on Coke-Making Blend Properties

Abstract

Due to global warming, technologies reducing CO2 emissions in the metallurgical industry are being sought. One possibility is to use bio-coke as a substitute for classic coke made of 100% fossil coal. Bio-coke can be produced on the basis of coal with the addition of substances of biomass origin. Blends for the production of bio-coke should have appropriate coke-making properties to ensure the appropriate quality of bio-coke. The article presents the results of the research on the influence of the addition (up to 20%) of bio-components of different origins to the coke blend on its coke-making properties, i.e., Gieseler Fluidity, Arnu—Audibert Dilatation and Roga Index. The bio-components used in the research were raw and thermally processed waste biomass of different origins (forestry: beech and alder woodchips; sawmill: pine sawdust; and the food industry: hazelnut shells and olive kernels) and commercial charcoal. Studies have shown that both the amount of additive and the type of additive affect the obtained coking properties. There was a decrease in fluidity, dilatation and Roga Index values, with more favorable results obtained for the addition of carbonized biomass and for additives with a higher apparent density. A regressive mathematical model on the influence of the share of the additive and its properties (oxygen content and apparent density) on the percentage decrease in fluidity was also developed.