High purity Graphite Petroleum Coke is a critical component of the metallurgy and foundry industries, significantly boosting carbon content during steel melting and casting. This enables the replacement of pig iron and other lower-grade raw materials, and ultimately leads to higher quality outcomes. Graphitized Petroleum Coke has superior properties to raw petcoke, including a much higher carbon content, low sulfur and nitrogen content, low ash content, and excellent thermal and electrical conductivity.
Graphitized Petroleum Coke is derived from petroleum coke through a high-temperature process called catalytic graphitization, which transforms the amorphous carbon structure of petcoke into a highly ordered and crystalline graphite structure. This makes GPC an ideal substitute for many raw industrial materials, especially a more expensive molten graphite, which is used in many applications ranging from automotive and aeronautical to electronics and battery technology.
It is essential to understand the differences between the morphologies of various types of petroleum coke. For example, calcined petroleum coke has a deeper color and denser appearance than graphite fossil oil coke or green delayed petroleum coke. It also has more regular textures and a smooth surface, while graphite needle coke has acicular texture and an abrasive feel.
These variations are important because different morphologies of pet coke have distinct properties that affect the performance of carbon products. The abrasive texture of graphite needle coke, for example, can cause cracking or corrosion of the anode in aluminum electrolytic cells. Its angular edges and layers also make it difficult for the material to be exfoliated during layer exfoliation, which reduces the efficiency of the cell.
NETL’s researchers are currently developing a process to convert low-grade petroleum coke into graphite using iron-based catalysts and high temperatures in a reactor known as a gasifier. This process has the potential to unlock a domestic supply of a critically needed mineral.
The amorphous carbon in petroleum coke has a natural tendency to crystallize during high-temperature processing. This transformation, called graphitization, is a key step in the production of high-value graphite-based industrial products such as metallurgical coke, graphite electrodes, and carbon fibers. Traditionally, graphitized petroleum coke (GPC) has been produced from highly processed calcined coke using a costly metallurgical plant. NETL’s new technology aims to enable the use of lower-grade petroleum coke and other feedstocks in a similar processing process, making the United States an independent source of this important commodity.
The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is the Department of Energy’s flagship laboratory for advanced energy technologies that support a sustainable and resilient energy future. With facilities in Albany, Oregon; Morgantown, West Virginia; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, NETL creates innovative solutions that strengthen the security, affordability and reliability of our nation’s energy systems and natural resources. NETL works with partners across the country to deliver a diverse mix of cost-effective, clean and reliable energy for America’s citizens.
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