This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the tensile strength of metallurgical coke and both the textural composition of the carbon matrix and the porous structure of the coke, and further to assess the use of these structural features as bases of methods of coke strength prediction. The forty-four cokes examined were produced in a small pilot-oven from blended-coal charges based on six coals differing widely in rank. Their textural composition was assessed by incident polarized-light microscopy while pore structural parameters were measured by computerized image analysis allied to reflected light microscopy. The tensile strength of coke could be related to textural data with accuracy using several relationships, some of which were based on a model for the tensile failure of coke. Relationships between tensile strength and pore sturctural parameters were less successful, possibly because of difficulties associated with the measuring system used. Neverthless relationships involving combinations of pore structural and textural data were developed and investigated. It was shown that relationships between tensile strength and calculated textural data had promise as the basis of a method of coke strength prediction. Also, tensile strengths could be calculated from the blend composition and the tensile strength of the coke produced from component cokes. Both methods have value in different situations.

Given the high costs and general shortage of coking coals on the domestic and international markets, and because the nature and qualities of many of the coking coals available on the markets are themselves mixed products, conventional mechanisms and tried and trusted formulae for manufacturing coke products based on single coals of known qualities can no longer apply. There is therefore an urgent need to develop more effective techniques for evaluating and assessing the properties of individual coals rapidly and reliably and in a manner that could provide useful data for use in modelling the effect of new coal components in a coke blend. Towards this end, the current research has sought to find more accurate coal characterisation techniques at laboratory scale than currently exists in industry at present. Seventeen coking or blend coking coals from widely different sources were selected and cokes were produced from them in as close to full scale conventional conditions as possible. Both coals and cokes were analysed using conventional chemical, physical, petrographic and rheological coking methods. The results indicated that, whilst all coals had acceptable chemical, physical and petrographic properties as evaluated on individual parameters thereby indicating their potential values as prime coking coals, in fact the resultant cokes of some of the coals had properties that disproved this assessment. These anomalies were investigated by integrating all characteristics and statistically evaluating them. The result [outcome] indicated that the series of coals under review fall naturally into three distinct categories according to rank, as determined by the reflectance of vitrinite, and that the coking coals in each rank category were further characterised by parameters specific to that level of rank. In this way more accurate predictions of coke quality were obtained than has been the case to date when using single set evaluations or previously devised formulae. On this basis it was concluded that, when selecting coals for coke making, it is essential to first establish the rank of the coal by vitrinite reflectance and then to apply coke evaluating parameters specific to that level of rank. The formulae developed for this purpose held good for all coals tested, however, it remains to be seen whether this applies universally to an even wider source of coals.

In this study, coke oven tar addition over a range of 0 – 8 wt.% was evaluated as a possible substitute for imported coals fractions. Coke oven tar used was collected from coke oven tar decanters of the by-products section of the coke making plant. Moisture content in coke oven tar varied depending on the residence time and water carryover from coke oven tar separators to storage tanks. Therefore, various moisture ranges were considered in order to observe its effect on coal blend, carbonization and coke properties. The optimum moisture content in coke oven tar was found to be 3% with a coke oven tar addition of 6 wt.% in the coal blend. At the same coke oven tar addition of 6 wt.% in the coal blend but with 6% moisture content in coke oven tar, coke properties improved, coke yield showed up to 4% decrease. On the other hand, with 1% moisture content in coke oven tar of 6 wt.% in the coal blend, coke yield increased by 1% and low coke properties such as I40 of 42.9 and Stability of 50.3 were achieved. The latter process was characterized by excessive increased in wall pressure and pushing energy. Both wall pressure and pushing energy increase are less desirable due to their detrimental effect on the physical condition of the oven walls. Furthermore, addition of coke oven tar with 1% moisture content to coal blend can be prohibited by its high viscosity. At 3% moisture content in coke oven tar addition of 6 wt.% in the coal blend, coke properties improved. When the amount of coke oven tar was increased to 8 wt.% at the optimum coke oven addition, coke yield was not affected but low CSR of 57.8 against a target of ³60 was achieved as opposed to CSR of 65.4 at 6 wt.%. Also, coke stability of 52.2 at 8 wt.% as opposed to 56.1 at 6 wt.% was achieved. Moreover, the highest I40 of 50.9 was achieved at 6 wt.% whereas with 8 wt.% coke oven tar, I40 of 47.9 was achieved. However, up to 2% decrease in coke yield was observed. Despite this 2% decrease in coke yield, coke oven tar addition is a positive and viable option based upon economic factors (i.e. this reduces the quantity and cost of imported coals and still achieves improved coke quality which result in improved blast furnace operation and better hot metal quality).

In recent years, the consequences of global warming have increased the discussion about the climate impact caused by humans and the fossil emissions. Sweden has decided to reduce the negative climate impact with a zero vision for the fossil carbon dioxide emissions in year 2045. In order to achieve this, great efforts and changes are needed both in the inhabitants' way of living but primarily in the base industry. The major cause is the use of fossil coal, which generates fossil carbon dioxide in the steel industry in particular. The fossil coal is added to the blast furnace in the steel process in forms of coke and coal, which reduces the iron and emits heat. The quality of the coke is important as it functions reducing agent, provides a mechanical support to the bed and enables the gas flow up through the blast furnace and enables dissolution of carbon in hot metal. Also, coke supplies energy from exothermic reactions between carbon and carbon dioxide that takes part in the blast furnace and the energy are further used for the heating and melting of the cold iron pellets. Due to these factors, the blast furnace process is dependent on coke for its function, which means that the entire process must be replaced if the steel production should work without fossil coal. However, there are many studies that have been done on how to replace some of the fossil coal with bio-coal, which is produced from biomass. If some of the fossil coal could be replaced by some bio-coal, this would mean that fossil carbon dioxide emissions would decrease and lead to a reduced climate impact. The process would still generate carbon dioxide, but on the other hand, a cycle would be formed because when biomass is grown, carbon dioxide is taken up, e.g. by the trees grown for this purpose. However, bio-coal does not have the same properties as fossil coal, which in turn affects the quality of the coke. Bio-coke is more reactive and more porous than fossil coke. In order to be able to replace fossil coke with bio-coke, it is likely necessary to pre-treat the biocoal before it replaces part of the fossil coal in the coke production. Bio-coal contains ash that acts as an internal catalyst. One theory is that if it is possible to produce a bio-coal with ash-free carbon structure, it can be used in the production of coke without having such a great effect on the coke quality. In this project, the ash's impact on the properties of bio-coal in coke was studied. Previous studies have shown that leaching is an effective method for removing ash from bio-coal. It can be leached in three different ways, either with water, weak acid or acid. However, it has been found that acid leaching has a certain impact on the carbon structure itself. For this reason, two types of bio-coal, torrefied Grot (forest residue) and torrefied sawdust were selected, which were leached both with water but also with weak acid in order to achieve an ash-reduced carbon structure. The acid selected was acetic acid, as it has been tested for similar purposes in previous studies. The leaching efficiency was evaluated by analysing the leachate with ICP-OES after leaching. According to the result, a significant part of the ash had been leached out, but the leaching with weak acid was much more effective than water leaching. To ensure that the carbon structure was not altered, light-optical microscopy was made which showed that the structure was intact. However, it was not possible to determine whether the pore sizes were changed after leaching and it is therefore relevant to investigate this further. Moreover, the leached II bio-coal replaced 5% of the fossil coal in the coal mixture for coke making. In addition to this, coke was also made with only the ash from the two bio-coals to see what effect the ash has on the coke quality. The result that was obtained from the TGA showed that the ash had a low impact on the reactivity of the coke. However, the coal structure of the coke had a great impact on the reactivity behaviour. Keywords: Bio-coke, bio-coal, leaching, ash, coke quality, carbon structures, torrefied sawdust