An Experimental and Theoretical Study of a Thermal Treatment Stage during Semi-Coke Briquetting from Weakly Caking Coal

The paper proposes a method for assessing the state of coal particle packing before pressing. The method is based on a numerical calculation of internal temperature and component composition heterogeneities. The mathematical model developed for this purpose is validated using experimental data. The calculation results are used to predict the quality of briquettes based on the distribution of the coal conversion degree. The obtained dependencies show that the low mechanical strength of briquettes corresponds to conditions where the conversion degree exhibits high heterogeneity. Using the model, a numerical study is conducted to find suitable briquetting conditions (lower temperature, longer heating).