Factors affecting the mechanical properties of blast furnace coke
Creators: name: Grant, Michael G. K.
Publisher: name: University of British Columbia
Year: 2010

description: The influence of coking conditions, with respect to position in a commercial coke-oven, on the mechanical behaviour of blast furnace coke has been studied. This involved the determination of density, porosity, the characterization of microstructure and assessing the influence of all three on the compressive strength of coke. The plastic flow properties were also investigated at temperatures greater than 1000°C. Three coke batches, originating in a 5m commercial coke-oven at three different positions with respect to height (0.8m, 3.3m and 5m below the coal line), along with three coke batches produced in a 460mm test-oven, were supplied by Energy, Mines and Resources (CANMET) in Ottawa. A warf coke batch was also provided as a control sample. Several hundred core-drilled specimens (≃1.3cm diameter and 1.3cm length) were produced from the seven coke batches. The bulk density of each cylindrical coke specimen was determined. Also, a detailed microstructural analysis, using a Leitz Image Analyzer, of the flat faces of the coke cylinders was performed to quantitatively characterize the pore and cell wall size, and the pore geometry. The compressive strength of each coke cylinder was determined both at ambient temperature and at 1400°C. In addition, the plastic flow behaviour of the commercially produced coke batches was studied. Results indicate that the coke product bulk density was affected by the coke-oven pressure (static load). Studies of the test-oven coke batches revealed that coke bulk density increased with higher oven pressure. Furthermore, the pore size was found to be larger for cokes produced at lower oven pressures. The cell wall size did not appear to be affected by coke-oven pressure. The bulk density of the commercially produced samples increased with depth below the coal line. This was attributed to a higher temperature and static load that existed at the bottom of the battery. The pore size was larger in cokes extracted from higher regions. No correlation of cell wall size with depth below the coal line was found. However, an oven size effect on the pore and wall size was noticed. Both the pore and wall size was smaller in the test-oven coke batches. The compressive strength of coke was higher in batches subjected to higher coke-oven pressures. Similarly,' the compressive strength of commercial coke batches was higher for coke batches extracted from regions near the sole of the coke-oven, than that for coke batches extracted from higher regions. It was concluded that high oven pressures resulted in cokes exhibiting a lower porosity and small pores which had the combined effect of producing stronger coke. Coke strength was generally shown to be higher at 1400°C than at room temperature. The test-oven cokes were always stronger than cokes produced in the 5m commercial coke-oven. Constant load tests revealed that coke exhibited plastic flow behaviour at temperatures above 1000°C. The time dependent strain data was described using an interactive-double-Kelvin element visco-elastic model.