Pelletization of Fine-Grained Metallurgical and Petroleum Coke

Abstract Coke powder is a cost-effective material with diverse industrial applications, including ferroalloys, calcium carbide, fertilizer production, and blast furnace injection. However, its low strength, poor crush resistance, and lack of plasticity, combined with the small particle sizes produced during pyrolysis, make it unsuitable for direct use in many processes. Pelletizing coke powder is a widely accepted method to enhance its usability and maximize resource efficiency. By incorporating suitable additives, the strength, crush resistance, and plasticity of the material can be significantly improved. When processed into pellets of specific size and durability, coke powder can be utilized in metallurgy, as industrial or household block fuel, and as a gasification feedstock. Metallurgical coke is derived from low-ash, low-sulfur bituminous coal through the coking process, while petroleum coke (pet coke) is produced as a byproduct of crude oil refining. Fine metallurgical and petroleum coke particles (under 200 μm) have been successfully pelletized using a rotating disc pelletizer, with sodium silicate (Na 2 SiO 3 ) serving as an inorganic binder which may be used as carburizers, e.g. in steel manufacturing. The impact of binder concentration and pelletizer rotational speed on the crushing strength and average pellet size was analyzed. Experimental results confirmed that the pelletization process effectively produced coke pellets with satisfactory particle size distribution and compressive strength