Steel manufacturing with Petroleum Coke is a process that utilizes petroleum coke as a fuel to reduce iron ore and create direct reduced iron (DRI). Coke is a carbon-rich byproduct of oil refining, a dark, solid substance created when heavy crude oil is heated in the absence of air. Unlike coal, petroleum coke has little or no combustible content, but it is a valuable raw material with a high carbon and other chemical content that can be used in many industrial applications.
Petroleum coke is produced by coking the heaviest components of crude petroleum in a large vessel called a coker unit. The coking process converts the heaviest hydrocarbon fractions into solid petroleum coke, which can be further processed to produce different grades depending on application: Fuel Coke, Anode Coke and Needle Coke. Each grade of petroleum coke has a different structure and different chemical composition. The lowest value petroleum coke is fuel coke, which has low volatiles and is utilized as a fuel in power plants and cement kilns. Anode coke has moderate values and is used in the production of graphite electrodes for aluminum industry. Finally, needle coke has the highest values and is used in the production of high-grade graphite electrodes for steel making.
Until recently, petroleum coke has been burned as a fuel in boilers and furnaces to generate steam and electricity. However, its high sulfur content poses problems for cement kilns and the ash from combustion can adversely affect the setting time of concrete. In addition, petroleum coke contains toxic heavy metals such as vanadium and chromium. These toxic metals must be separated from the petroleum coke prior to utilizing it as an energy source for iron-making processes.
The invention provides a method for disposing of petroleum coke in an environmentally sensitive manner by using it as a fuel in iron-making processes that utilize a melter gasifier. In accordance with the invention, petroleum coke is introduced into a melter gasifier 40 to be combusted in conjunction with oxygen and iron ore from a source 42 that has been reduced in a reduction furnace 44. A synthesis gas 46 rich in carbon monoxide is produced for export. Heavy metals and sulfur contained in the petroleum coke are separated from the synthesis gas and disposed of accordingly.
A new process for converting petroleum coke into an electrically-conductive material has been developed at a University of Missouri lab. The researchers discovered that calcined petroleum coke can be post-annealed to achieve electrical conductivity of more than 1000 times that of normal amorphous coke. This new technique significantly increases the potential for reusing valuable petroleum coke streams for purposes such as steelmaking and electricity generation, while at the same time reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. This discovery also holds promise for the development of other applications involving the electrical properties of petroleum coke. The research is published in the journal Nanotechnology. For more information about this article, please contact the publisher at:
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