Petroleum coke is a carbon-rich material used in the steel production process to make molten iron. It's heated without any air in a very high temperature oven, until all of the volatile matter evaporates. The liquefied material is then resolidified into coke, a porous hard material. The coke, iron ore is then mixed and melted together to create steel.
Aluminum and steel are the two largest consumers of petcoke. These industries use it as part of their industrial processes. Additionally, it's used as a source of energy in cement and power stations. Pet coke, which is dense and has very little ash, makes it an excellent fuel. It has a very high fixed carbon, making it suitable for many industrial applications.
Two main refining methods are used to produce petroleum coke: Delayed Coking, and Fluid Coking. Delayed Coking involves heating residual fractions to high temperature in a unit coker, where they crack into lighter fractions. The remaining solid, green coke is removed from the coker and processed further to produce calcined petroleum coke (petcoke).
Calcined petroleum coke is used in a number of different metal production processes as a carbon additive. This is especially important for the production of aluminium, as it is used in the manufacture of graphite anodes which are vital to the electrolysis process that converts alumina to aluminum. In this case, anodes are required to be free of impurities such as sulfur that can negatively impact the process for producing aluminum.
Another application for calcined petrol coke is that it can be used to make refractory materials. These are needed in the manufacture of blast furnaces, and other large equipment. Its high carbon content makes it a great raw material for the production of refractory materials, which are needed to build blast furnaces and other large industrial equipment.
It is common to dehydrate the calcined coke in order to reduce its moisture. This helps improve its physical characteristics and its ability to act as an additive to metallurgical process. The resulting coke contains low sulfur and high ash contents. It is also very dense. As an alternative to fossil fuels, it reduces the cost of making steel. Because of its low price and superior environmental profile, some producers are substituting calcined Petroleum Coke for coal to be used as a refrigerant additive in ironmaking. The substitution of pet coke for coal can result in savings of up to 40% in the cost of ironmaking. The savings are substantial, especially in countries that have a higher price for fossil fuels. These savings can then be passed on directly to the consumer. This will help to reduce the cost of steel and improve the competitiveness of the industry in those markets.
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