Impact of the Addition of Pyrolysed Forestry Waste to the Coking Process on the Resulting Green Biocoke

The suitability of the charcoal obtained from woody biomass pyrolysis in a continuous screw reactor at 573, 773, 973, 1173 K temperature profile as fuel and reducing agent in metallurgical applications has been evaluated, in order to reduce the CO2 emissions in these processes. On the one hand, a comparative study between charcoal and commercial reducers has been carried out. On the other hand, different proportions of this charcoal have been added to an industrial coking coal blend and carbonized together in a semi-pilot movable wall oven, to study the influence in the plastic and mechanical properties of the produced biocoke. The charcoal obtained fulfills the requirements to be used as fuel and reducer in non-ferrous processes where no mechanical strength is required, like rotary kilns, in substitution of fossil reducers. Its higher heating value (>32 MJ kg−1) is in the range or over those of fossil coals, with the advantage of not containing polluting elements (S, N) and having less ash. The addition of up to 0.9 wt.% almost does not affect the quality of the biocoke; but the addition of ≥2 wt.% degrades the biocoke mechanical and plastic properties below the demanded requirements. Moreover, biocoke reactivity seems independent of the amount of charcoal added.

ASSESSMENT OF FORECAST ACCURACY DANGEROUS PROPERTIES OF COAL LAYERS BY THE DEGREE OF METAMORPHISM OF SOLID FOSSIL COALS

In the normative base of Ukraine for the safe mining of coal seams, only five indicators of the degree of metamorphism are used to predict the manifestation of their hazardous properties during mining operations: mass release of volatile substances during thermal decomposition of coal without air (Vdaf) access to characterize coal; volumetric yield of volatile substances daf V V to establish the distinctive properties of anthracites; logarithm of electrical resistivity (lg); the thickness of the plastic layer (y) and the grade of coal (M) for predicting the outburst hazard of seams. When developing regulatory documents, it was assumed that these criteria for assessing the degree of coal metamorphism remain constant within one mine field. Their values, as mining operations show, are influenced by the location of the coal sampling site in relation to the distance from relatively large geological disturbances or the boundaries of the gas weathering zone. In most cases, the boundaries of mine fields are usually relatively large geological faults. The proximity of the locations of coal sampling points to them influences the obtained results of evaluating the properties of mine layers. Аdjusting indicators (Vdaf, daf V V , lg, y ,M) for individual mines on the possible impact of geological disturbances, the depth of the mining robot and the distance from the zone of gas weathering, according to the requirements of regulatory documents. For this reason, it is of scientific and practical interest to establish the possible ranges of change in the indicators of the degree of metamorphism of coal within the same mine layer. The results of research in this direction are relevant, as they are necessary to improve the regulatory framework for the safe mining of coal mines. A possible change within a separate mine field was considered using the example of the indicator Vdaf as the most studied at present. According to a specially developed methodology, the analysis involved data on 2193 mines from different coal basins. Most of them belong to the mines of the Donetsk basin (1773). The rest of the basins account for information on 460 mine layers, including data on 46 mine layers for the Lvov-Volyn basin.

ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A GENERAL METHOD FOR FORECASTING THE DANGEROUS PROPERTIES OF COAL SEAMS

Purpose: to establish a quantitative effect on the dust-generating ability of mine layers of the degree of metamorphic transformations of fossil coals, mining-geological and mining conditions of mining operations and to provide proposals for the development of a general methodology for predicting other hazardous properties of mine layers. Methodology: research is based on the experience of using regulatory documents and analysis of the results of experimental and calculated data on dust formation of fine fractions for various observation conditions. Results: based on the analysis of statistical models of shallow and steeply dipping mine layers by groups of their dustiness, the effect of specific dust release, dust content in broken coal, moisture and thickness of the seams was established. Of all the possible factors that determine the specific dust release, the main ones are the design features of mining machines. The yield of small grades when tested by the falling weight method can serve as an indicator of the strength of coal. The use of such methods eliminates the errors caused by determining the degree of coal change during the transition from its actual destruction by a coal mining machine to the reference mode. The use of carbon content as one of the main indicators of the degree of metamorphism makes it possible to analyze the level of influence of both the sum of the remaining main components of the organic mass (hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur, oxygen) and their separate influence. In order to bring the state of coal as close as possible to production conditions, it is necessary to additionally take into account moisture, mineral inclusions and their composition. The petrographic composition and some physical and mechanical properties are reliably characterized by the vitrinite reflectance index. The extreme limits of influence on dust formation of the design features of mass-produced combines differ by 43.4 times. The influence of metamorphic transformations at the extreme limits of the yield of the 1-0 mm class when testing coals in a pile driver is estimated by a difference of 5.6 times. The release of volatile substances taken as the main indicator of the degree of metamorphism in the normative base for the safe conduct of mining operations does not unambiguously characterize the gradation of mine layers according to their dustiness groups. The thickness of the mines being developed and the angles of occurrence do not determine their tendency to dust formation, but are the main criteria for choosing mining equipment for crushing coal in the massif. The general methodology for predicting the hazardous properties of coal mine layers, using the example of their dust-forming ability, should take into account the influence of factors of three blocks – metamorphic transformations, mining and geological and mining technical conditions. Scientific novelty: for the first time, a quantitative assessment of the effect on the dust-generating capacity of mine layers of a combination of factors of metamorphic transformation of fossil coals, mining-geological and mining-technical conditions of mining operations has been established. Practical value: the results obtained make it possible to substantiate and develop a general methodology for predicting the hazardous properties of mine layers, which will contribute to improving the regulatory framework for the safe conduct of mining operations.

ON THE INFLUENCE OF MINERAL IMPURITIES ON THE MANIFESTATION OF DANGEROUS PROPERTIES OF COAL SEAMS

Purpose: to establish a possible correspondence between metamorphic processes with artificial thermal destruction of coals and their ashing in order to identify the components of mineral impurities that can affect the manifestation of the hazardous properties of coal mine seams. Methodology is based on a comparison of metamorphic processes that took place at a certain temperature mode in the bowels of the Earth and the production of artificial coals and their ashing. Results: The research made it possible to reveal the important role of mineral impurities in the formation of the hazardous properties of coal seams. This is due to both the significant possible content of mineral impurities in fossil coals, and the simultaneous presence of the main components that determine the hazardous properties of coal seams (carbon, hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen and moisture), both in the organic and in the mineral parts of fossil coals. To improve the regulatory framework for the safe conduct of mining operations, it is necessary to take into account features of the properties of fossil coals due to the presence of mineral impurities in them. In modern regulatory documents on the safe conduct of mining operations, in general, several indicators are used without proper scientific justification: the mass yield of volatiles during the thermal decomposition of coal, the volumetric yield of volatile substances, the thickness of the plastic layer and the logarithm of the electrical resistivity of anthracites. Their values are related to the dry ash-free mass of organic matter only. This excludes consideration of the influence of mineral impurities on the manifestation of the hazardous properties of coal mine seams during mining operations. In many cases, the content of moisture and sulfur is a criterion for the manifestation of hazardous properties of coal seams. They belong to the integral components of both organic and mineral constituents of fossil coals. The share of mineral impurities in the coals of individual coal seams can be more than 40%. The presence of oxygen, hydrogen, sulfur and moisture in mineral impurities significantly affects the manifestation of the hazardous properties of coal seams during mining. The content of mineral impurities in fossil coals in engineering calculations can be determined on the basis of the ash content of coals according to known empirical relationships, corrected for the content of total sulfur and, in some cases, carbon dioxide. Scientific novelty: the significant influence of mineral impurities in fossil coals on the manifestation of hazardous properties of coal seams during mining operations has been proved. Practical value: the results obtained allow substantiating the methodology for the combined use of the composition of organic and mineral components of fossil coals for a reliable forecast of the manifestation of hazardous properties of coal seams and improving the regulatory framework for their safe mining.