Blast Furnace Coke Requirements and Methods of Improving Its Quality: A Review

The article analyzes the current understanding of the influence of coke quality on the ironmaking process. The requirements for its metallurgical characteristics are formulated. One of the main factors affecting the possibility of efficient operation of blast furnaces is the quality of coke. This quality significantly depends on the quality of coal raw materials, methods of coal batch preparation, and methods of its pretreatment. To ensure the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of coke production and expand the raw material base of coking coal, it is necessary to use scientifically sound, economically feasible approaches to the introduction of advanced technologies, such as frontal coal cleaning, prediction, and optimization of the batch composition taking into account the petrographic characteristics of its components and the expansion pressure of coal concentrates, modification of the batch using additives, rational preparation of coal by crushing, and coking of stamped batches. A comparison of coke quality prediction methods used in the testing of coal batches is presented. The main methods of improving coal and coal batch preparation (including those implemented at coke plants in Ukraine) are described. Research that was not available to the English-speaking reader is analyzed.