Foundry coke product, and related system, apparatus, and method

Abstract

To provide high-quality foundry coke with a higher yield or at a lower cost.SOLUTION: A coke product configured for use in a foundry cupola for melting iron to produce cast iron products is disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the coke product has a Coke Reactivity Index (CRI) of at least 30% and an Ash Fusion Temperature (AFT) of less than 1316°C. Additionally or alternatively, the coke product may include (i) an ash content of at least 8.0%, (ii) a volatile matter content of 1.0% or less, (iii) a Coke Strength after Reaction (CSR) of 40% or less, (iv) a 2-inch (5.08 cm) drop shatter of at least 90%, and / or (v) a fixed carbon content of at least 85%.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 275,896, filed November 4, 2021, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to foundry coke products and related systems, apparatus, and methods. [Background technology]

[0003] background Coke can be divided into various subcategories. Foundry coke has superior qualities such as larger dimensions, relatively fewer impurities, relatively higher carbon content, strength, and stability compared to blast furnace coke. Foundry coke is used to melt iron in foundry cupolas to produce cast iron and ductile iron products. However, foundry coke has high production costs, including production costs, transportation costs, and environmental costs. Therefore, there is a need in the art to obtain high quality foundry coke at higher yields or lower costs by improving the production process.

[0004] Coke is a solid carbon fuel and carbon source produced from coal used in the production of steel. Coal can be obtained from a combination of different coal sources and often has widely different qualities and compositions. These resources can be used as fuels and feedstocks for a variety of applications, such as steel production, cement production, and power generation. Additionally, various regulatory environments or economic incentives may result in additional requirements regarding the types of coal that a particular foundry, factory, or plant is permitted to use.

[0005] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The features, aspects, and advantages of the presently disclosed technology may be better understood with regard to the following drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary schematic system for obtaining coal parameters for multiple coal types and determining a coal blend formulation, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technique. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 illustrates an isometric, partial cutaway view of a portion of a horizontal heat recovery coke plant in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technique. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 illustrates coke particles configured to be heated in a foundry cupola in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technique. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows a table of exemplary foundry coke products and foundry coke properties, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technique. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a chart showing foundry coke product yield in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technique. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a chart showing particle size in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a chart showing 4 inch (10.16 centimeter) drop splash characteristics in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a chart showing 6 inch (15.24 centimeter) drop splash characteristics in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a chart showing ash mass fraction in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a chart showing moisture mass fraction in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a chart showing sulfur mass fraction in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a chart showing SiO2 mass fraction versus Al2O3 mass fraction in the ash of a foundry coke product, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technique. [Figure 13]FIG. 13 is a chart showing Fe2O3 mass fraction versus CaO mass fraction in the ash of a foundry coke product in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technique. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a chart showing ash softening temperature versus model ash melting temperature for different batches of foundry coke production, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technique. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a chart showing ash softening temperature versus ash mass fraction for different batches of foundry coke production, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technique. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a chart showing observed ash fusion temperatures versus modeled ash fusion temperatures for different batches of foundry coke production, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technique.

[0007] Those skilled in the relevant art will appreciate that the features shown in the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and that variations are possible, including different or additional features and their arrangements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Detailed Description I. Overview Foundry coke is a coke with relatively large dimensions and excellent qualities such as very low impurity content, very high fixed carbon content, strength, and stability. Foundry coke is used as a carbon source for melting iron and recycled steel in cupola furnaces and producing cast iron and ductile iron products. However, the production costs of foundry coke, including production costs, transportation costs, and environmental costs, are high. Therefore, there is a need in the art to obtain high quality foundry coke at higher yields or lower costs by improving the production process. Conventionally produced coke typically has an ash fusion temperature (AFT) of over 2650 degrees Fahrenheit (°F) (1454 degrees Celsius). Due to this high temperature, the ash melts deep inside the cupola, which reduces the surface area of ​​the coke exposed to the molten metal. As a result, less carbon is transferred to the iron.

[0009] The coke products disclosed herein for this technology have an AFT lower than 2600°F (1427°C) and therefore melt higher in the cupola, increasing the amount of carbon surface exposed to the molten metal. Additionally, from a viscosity standpoint, a lower AFT allows the molten ash to move through the carbon bed more quickly, resulting in better phase separation in the cupola well and allowing more carbon to molten metal contact. As used herein, the term "molten metal" refers to molten iron, molten steel, or the final molten mixture of molten iron and molten steel.

[0010] AFT can be obtained in various ways and separated into different types of AFT. In some embodiments, AFT can be measured from a sample of ash resulting from complete combustion of coal, coal blends, or coke products. Elemental analysis of the ash can be performed for each element, e.g., individual silicon atoms generate a signal to an analytical instrument. To obtain mass percentage values ​​used in model ash fusion calculations, some embodiments of the present technology can treat all elements as fully oxidized and determine mass percentages based on the oxidation form. For example, some embodiments of the present technology can determine the mass of SiO2 instead of the mass of Si. In some embodiments, the mass percentages of SiO2, Al2O3, FeO3, CaO, other compounds, etc. can be normalized to sum to 100%.

[0011] Alternatively or additionally, AFT may be measured by an AFT test, such as standard American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) method D1857. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may determine the initial deformation temperature (IDT), softening temperature (ST), hemisphere temperature (HT), and flow temperature (FT). These measured temperatures may have different values ​​relative to each other and may be used to characterize a particular coal, coal blend, or coke product. Furthermore, as discussed elsewhere, the composition of the ash remaining after combustion of a coal or coal blend is believed to be the same as the ash remaining after combustion of a coke product produced from the coal or coal blend. Some embodiments may characterize the coal blend ash composition as a weighted average of the ash compositions of the coal components weighted by their respective mass fractions in the coal blend.

[0012] Additionally, conventional operations may also add CaCO3-containing rock to the charge to be used as a flux to remove ash. The CaCO3 permeates the ash and lowers the AFT, or the ash itself dissolves into the CaCO3-containing rock. This is an inefficient way to introduce fluxing agents, given the very low surface area to volume ratio over which flux occurs. Based on the unexpected findings disclosed herein regarding the effect of low AFT on desired carbon transfer, coke may be "prefluxed" by selecting a coal or coal blend that has an ash with a higher proportion of low melting oxides such as CaO, MgO, Fe2O3, Na2O, and K2O, rather than the high melting oxides of Al2O3 and SiO2.

[0013] In foundry cupolas, coke is used as a fuel and carbon source to produce cast iron. Coke serves four functions in the cupola: (1) provides heat from combustion to melt the iron or steel; (2) supplies carbon to the iron; (3) provides structural support for the iron or steel load; and (4) creates a gas-permeable layer that allows gases to travel upward and diffuse into good contact with the iron or steel.

[0014] Some embodiments may perform the operations described herein to produce a coke product that allows for a higher carbon transfer rate to the iron or steel during the casting operation, which may result in better cupola performance. Some embodiments may produce the coke product using one of a variety of types of ovens, such as a heat recovery oven, a non-recovery oven, a Thompson oven, another type of horizontal oven, a vertical by-product oven, etc. Some embodiments may produce the coke product described in this disclosure using one or more operations described in U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 736,960, entitled "Coke Product for Foundry, and Related Systems and Methods," the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0015] II. Coal Blends for Producing Foundry Coke Products and Related Systems and Methods Some embodiments of the present technology may perform operations to improve the efficiency of coke product production operations in a manner that may reduce energy consumption and improve yield. These operations may include determining the composition of a coal blend used to produce the coke product, where the composition of the coal blend may include coals from different coal sources. Some embodiments may select specific coals for their VM content, and may determine that the VM content and distribution affects the yield of the coke product, properties of the coke product, etc. Some embodiments may further perform certain processes in producing the coke product using a coke oven, where such processes may include opening and closing valves of the coke oven to maintain certain temperature relationships within sections of the coke oven. These outputs may result in a unique coking product compared to other coking products in terms of reactivity, dimensions, or other properties.

[0016] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary system 100 for obtaining coal parameters for multiple coal types 112-116 (collectively "coals 110") and determining the composition of a coal blend 140, according to one or more embodiments. Various equipment and devices may be used to blend 110 coals from various sources to form the coal blend 140. In some embodiments, not all of the coal types illustrated in FIG. 1 are utilized to form the coal blend 140 (e.g., only type A coal 112 and type B coal 113 are used). Each of the coals 110 may be tested using a coal parameter measurement system 120 to determine coal parameters such as VM mass fraction, ash composition measurement, sulfur composition measurement, inert matter composition, etc. Some embodiments may also use other properties of the coal, such as the fluidity of tar in the coal, the AFT of the coal, vitrinite reflectance, etc., in selecting the type or amount of coal to use in the coal blend. Alternatively or additionally, some embodiments of the present technology may obtain coal parameters from a third party data source (e.g., a database application program interface (API) or manual input by a user on an input device such as a keyboard or touch screen).

[0017] In some embodiments, the coal parameters may take into account measurements of reactive components or subtypes of reactive components, such as vitrinite, liptinite, and reactive semi-fusinite. The coal parameters may also include measurements or select amounts of inerts to include in the coal blend, such as pulverized coal, inert semi-fusinite, fusinite, macrinite, mineral matter, etc. In some embodiments, the inert content of the coal blend may be 32.0% or more, or may be limited to a particular range, such as 28.0%-40.0%, or 33.0%-35.0%. Some embodiments may determine the types and amounts of coal, pulverized coal, and other components of the coal blend to meet a set of target coal blend parameters, or corresponding target coke blend parameters, such as target coal blend parameters indicative of a strong, uniform coke. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may select the type of vitrinite present in the coal blend, which may include one or more of V9, V10, VI1, V12, V13, V14, V15, V16, V17, V18, and V19. Additionally, some embodiments of the present technology may produce coal blends having parameters described in U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 736,960, entitled "Foundry Coke Products, Related Systems and Methods."

[0018] After obtaining the coal parameters of the coal 110, some embodiments of the present technology may determine a combination of coal types for the coal 110. For example, a first combination of coal types may include 20% type A coal 112, 30% type B coal 113, 40% type C coal 114, and 10% type D coal 115. Some embodiments may represent each combination of coal types with a vector in an n-dimensional blending space, where "n" may represent an integer equal to or less than the number of coal types available to generate the coal blend. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may represent the first combination with a vector [0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.1] representing a blending point, which may indicate the proportional amount of each coal in the coal blend. Additionally, some embodiments of the present technology may add additives to the coal blend. Such additives may include calcium oxide, limestone, calcium-containing materials, trona, soda ash, caustic soda, slag (e.g., low ash molten slag, Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) slag, cupola slag, etc.), iron, nickel, potassium, magnesium, sodium, calcium sulfate, rock wool, biochar, or biomass (e.g., low AFT biomass). Alternatively or additionally, some embodiments of the present technology may add mineral additives such as dolomite, various other calcium-, iron-, magnesium-, or sodium-containing minerals. Some embodiments may use metal oxides such as Al2O3, SiO2, Fe2O3, MgO, Na2O, or TiO, transition metal oxides, calcined minerals, as additives to the coal blend. Some embodiments may add metal halide additives such as CaCl2, MgCl2, NaCl, etc. Some embodiments may add metal sulfate additives such as CaSO4 to the coal blend. Some embodiments may add aluminum or silicon mineral additives, such as quartz, muscovite, or feldspar, to the coal blend.Some embodiments may add additives from industrial waste or recycled streams such as blast furnace slag, foundry cupola slag, fine metal powder, wallboard waste, flue gas desulfurization plant gas by-products (e.g., fly ash), coal-fired plant fly ash, heat recovery steam generator wash mud, or unwashed coal.

[0019] When additives are added, the coal blend may have a calcium mass fraction, a lime mass fraction, a trona mass fraction, a soda ash mass fraction, a caustic soda mass fraction, a low ash melting slag mass fraction, a BOF slag mass fraction, a cupola slag mass fraction, an iron mass fraction, a nickel mass fraction, a potassium mass fraction, a magnesium mass fraction, a sodium mass fraction, a calcium sulfate mass fraction, a rock wool mass fraction, a biochar mass fraction, a biomass mass fraction, or a mass fraction of another additive that is greater than 0% but less than a predetermined threshold. The threshold may vary based on the particular embodiment and may be configured such that the additive mass fraction is less than 10.0%, less than 5.0%, less than 3.0%, less than 1.0%. By using a small amount of additive, some embodiments of the present technology may significantly reduce the ash melting value or another property that enhances the efficiency of the coke production. Alternatively or additionally, some embodiments of the present technology may include a higher amount of additive, and the coal blend may include more than 10.0% additive. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may use an additive having a calcium oxide mass fraction of greater than 70.0%, where the inclusion of the additive may result in the calcium oxide mass fraction of the coal blend being greater than 10.0%. Unless otherwise specified, the mass fraction of an element may refer to the element itself, a compound containing the element, or both. For example, calcium mass fraction may refer to the mass fraction of only calcium in the material, the mass fraction of calcium oxide, or the mass fraction of another calcium-containing compound, or a composite mass fraction of any combination thereof, etc.

[0020] In many cases, the VM of coal includes vitrinite, which may be classified based on its reflectance or other physical properties. Some systems may classify vitrinite by vitrinite types V8 to V18, and different coals may include different distributions of vitrinite types. As used in this disclosure, high volatile coal may be characterized by having a VM mass fraction greater than a VM mass fraction threshold, although different systems may use different thresholds to define high volatile coal. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may characterize high volatile coal as coal having a VM mass fraction of 28.0% or greater. Some embodiments may characterize high volatile VM using other VM mass fraction thresholds, such as 25.0%, 27.0%, 30.0%, 31.0%, or other thresholds of 25.0% or greater.

[0021] As used in this disclosure, low volatile coal may be characterized by having a VM mass fraction less than a VM mass fraction threshold, and different systems may use different thresholds to define low volatile coal. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may characterize low volatile coal as a coal having a VM mass fraction of 20.0% or less, although different values ​​other than 20% may be used, such as 14.0%, 15.0%, 17.0%, 21.0%, etc. Some embodiments of the present technology may use other VM mass fraction thresholds to characterize high volatile VM as VM greater than the mass fraction threshold. The mass fraction threshold may be equal to a value such as 14.0%, 15.0%, 21.0%, 22.0%, 23.0%, or other thresholds less than or equal to 25.0%.

[0022] Some embodiments of the present technology may characterize or partially characterize low volatility coals with respect to high volatility coals by using a pre-determined difference, which may include values ​​greater than 1.0%, such as 2.0%, 3.0%, 4.0%, 8.0%, or other values. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may set the difference between a first threshold used as a threshold for high volatility coals and a second threshold used as a threshold for low volatility coals to be equal to 4.0%, such that upon selecting 30% as the first threshold, the system may automatically select 26% as the second threshold. Alternatively, some embodiments of the present technology may determine or allow an alternative value for the second threshold, such as 21%. By setting the thresholds used to define high and low volatility coals or defining the difference between the two thresholds, some embodiments of the present technology may also automatically define intermediate volatility coals as coals that are neither high nor low volatility coals.

[0023] This disclosure refers to the AFT of a coal blend or coke product. The AFT of a coke product may be determined in a variety of ways, such as by determining using experimental observations (observed AFT) or empirical models (model AFT). Unless otherwise specified, the term "ash fusion" may refer to either an empirical model of ash fusion or observed ash fusion. As discussed elsewhere, the AFT can be 2600°F (1427°C) or less, 2450°F (1343°C) or less, 2400°F (1316°C) or less, 2350°F (1288°C) or less, 2300°F (1260°C) or less, 2250°F (1232°C) or less, 2200°F (1204°C) or less, 2150°F (1177°C) or less, 2100°F (1149°C) or less, 2050°F (1121°C) or less, 2000°F (1093°C) or less, 1950°F (1656°C) or less, 1900°F (1038°C) or less, 1850°F (1010°C) or less, or 1800°F (982°C) or less.

[0024] In some embodiments, empirical models of AFT can be determined from residual compounds of ash generated from the combustion of the coke product. If the values ​​of AFT are constrained to ranges, these empirical models can help form compositional boundaries in a multi-dimensional compositional parameter space. The compositional parameters in the parameter space can represent the amounts of elements or compounds in a material or group of materials, and the amounts can include mass fractions, volume fractions, etc. of the corresponding compounds. By using different empirical models or different ranges of AFT, some embodiments can constrain the ash of the coke product to different regions of the compositional parameter space, thereby constraining the composition of the coke product itself. For example, an empirical model of ash fusion may be defined in Equations 1-3 below, where "AFT" may be the model ash fusion temperature in degrees Celsius (°C), "mass fraction SiO" may be the SiO mass fraction of the ash of the coke product ("coke product ash"), "mass fraction AlO" is the AlO mass fraction of the coke product ash, "mass fraction FeO" is the FeO mass fraction of the coke product ash, "mass fraction CaO" is the CaO mass fraction of the coke product ash, "mass fraction MgO" is the MgO mass fraction of the coke product ash, and "mass fraction KO" is the KO mass fraction of the coke product ash.

[0025]

number

[0026]

number

[0027]

number

[0028] Some embodiments may apply different models based on different compositions. For example, based on a determination that the Al2O3 and SiO2 mass fraction in the ash composition of a coal blend is between 65% and 80%, some embodiments of the present technology may use Equation 3 to calculate the model AFT and Equation 2 to calculate the remaining model AFTs. Some embodiments may use different models for different optimization operations. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may use Equation 3 to optimize a coal blend selected for coke production to have a high content of Fe2O3 and CaO, but a low content of Al2O3 and SiO2. Additionally, some embodiments of the present technology may use a known model AFT, while some embodiments of the present technology may use a novel model AFT equation. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may determine the AFT using Equation 1, which is based on the American Society of Casters Cupola Handbook 6th Edition® 1999, Chapter 8, which is incorporated herein by reference, although some embodiments of the present technology may use other AFT models, such as those described by Equation 2 or Equation 3. Various other limitations on the mass fractions of the components of the coal blend may be imposed. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may produce coal blends in which the alumina Al2O3 content of the ash of the coal blend is less than 10.0%, less than 7.0%, less than 6.0%, less than 5.0%, etc.

[0029] By constraining the AFT to certain boundaries, some embodiments of the present technology can limit the composition of the ash. In some embodiments, the certain boundaries can encompass temperature ranges such as 982°C (1800°F) to 1204°C (2200°F), 1204°C (2200°F) to 1426°C (2600°F), or 982°C to 1426°C. If the ash is an ash product produced by burning a coke product, the limitations on the composition of the ash result in constraints on the coke product of the coke product itself. For example, some embodiments of the present technology can produce a coke product having an amount of Al, Si, Ti, Ca, Mg, Fe, Na, or K, such that the combustion of the coke product results in an ash having a composition that satisfies Equation 2. Various compositional boundaries of the coke product ash can be used. For example, some embodiments of the present technology can produce a coke product such that the model AFT of the coke product, as determined by Equation 3, is within the AFT boundaries. For example, the AFT boundary can be a temperature range between 1260° C. (2300° F.) and 1427° C. (2600° F.), between 1260° C. and 1371° C. (2500° F.), between 1260° C. and 1316° C. (2400° F.), or between 1260° C. and 1427° C. In some embodiments, the lower temperature limit can be a different value, such as 982° C. (1800° F.) or a value less than 1288° C., such as 816° C. (1500° F.), 649° C. (1200° F.), or other value less than 1288° C.

[0030] Additionally, some embodiments of the present technology may constrain the AFT to be approximately a target value, where the parameter is approximately a target value if the parameter is within 10% of the absolute value of the target value. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may constrain the AFT to be approximately 982°C (1800°F), 1204°C (2200°F), 1260°C (2300°F), 1288°C (2350°F), 1316°C (2400°F), 1343°C (2450°F), 1371°C (2500°F), 1399°C (2550°F), or 1427°C (2600°F).

[0031] In some embodiments, the coal blend formulation may include certain characteristics such as an ash fusion value of 2400°F or less (1316°C), which corresponds to less than 1316°C. Some embodiments may recommend or produce coal blends that contain low VM and high VM mass fraction coals, without necessarily including coals with intermediate VM mass fractions. For example, the coal blend may have a bimodal profile of high VM and low VM coals in the coal blend. In such a bimodal profile, the coals of the coal blend may include only first and second sets of coals, and the first set of coals of the coal blend may include only high VM coals with VM mass fractions greater than 30.0%, and the second set of coals of the coal blend may include only low VM coals with VM mass fractions less than 22.0%.

[0032] Some embodiments may map the blending points to corresponding coal parameter points in a coal parameter space ("coal parameter points"), where each dimension in the coal parameter space may represent a coal parameter. In some embodiments, the dimensions of the coal parameter points may be determined as a linear combination of the coals 110 weighted by the values ​​of the corresponding blending points. For example, a coal blend may include a blend of two coal types including 50% type A coal 112 and 50% type B coal 113. If the type A coal 112 has a VM mass percent equal to 15% and the type B coal has a VM mass percent equal to 25%, then the VM mass percent of the coal blend may be equal to 20%, which is the mean average of the two VM mass percents.

[0033] Some embodiments may obtain a set of target coal parameters, which may be provided as default values, provided by manual data entry, retrieved from a third party data store, provided via electronic message, etc. For example, the target coal parameters may include a coke reactivity index (CRI) or a reacted coke strength (CSR) value. In some embodiments, the CRI or CSR may be manually entered by a user, retrieved from a database, received via an API, etc. In some embodiments, a model based on the set of coal parameters may be used to determine the corresponding set of coke parameters. The model may include a statistical model, a semi-empirical analytical model, a neural network model, a physical simulation model, etc. As described elsewhere in this disclosure, some embodiments of the present technology may use a model that accounts for non-linear relationships between the coal parameters and the coke parameters. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may use a neural network, such as a feed-forward neural network, to predict the set of coke parameters.

[0034] In some embodiments, the neural network may be trained with historical data. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may train the neural network based on past blends and blend results, which may include coke properties such as CSR, percent weight loss, CRI, or another coke parameter that is nonlinear with respect to the associated coal parameters. Alternatively, or in addition, some embodiments of the present technology may use analytical physically based models or semi-analytical models to predict the coke parameters. Using a neural network, or other nonlinear methods, to predict the coke parameters based on the coal parameters may be advantageous due to the nonlinear effects associated between the coal parameters and the coke parameters. Additionally, some embodiments of the present technology may provide additional inputs to the neural network model, such as fine coal parameters, the amount of fine coal used, etc.

[0035] Some embodiments may adapt to changes in the availability of different coal types. For example, a source mine for type A coal 112 may be closed, a transportation line carrying type A coal 112 may be significantly delayed, a regulatory environment may make use of a particular coal infeasible, etc. In response to determining that a coal type used in a coal blend is unavailable or expected to become unavailable, some embodiments of the present technology may generate an alternative coal blend formulation that is mapped to a location in the coal parameter space that is within a distance threshold from a first point in the coal parameter space. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may originally use a first coal blend that is 20% type A coal by weight, the first coal blend is mapped to a first point in the coal parameter space that includes a VM mass ratio of 25%, a sulfur mass ratio of 0.4%, and an ash mass ratio of 6%, etc. After receiving a message indicating that type A coal is limited to 5% (e.g., as a result of inventory reduction), some embodiments of the present technology may perform a set of operations to determine one or more additional combinations that satisfy the coal type usage restrictions and the coal parameter space. If the first coal parameter point is not achievable subject to coal type availability, some embodiments of the present technology may determine an alternative coal blend formulation that maps to a coal parameter point that is within a coal parameter spatial distance threshold of the first coal parameter point.

[0036] Some embodiments may use the blending point to determine the mixture of coals to add and process for the coal blend 140. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may use operations described in this disclosure to determine a blending point that indicates a coal blend containing 20% ​​Type A coal 112, 30% Type B coal 113, 40% Type C coal 114, and 10% Type D coal 115, and combine these respective percentages of coal into the coal blend 140. Some embodiments may then feed the blended coals to a coke oven 150, where some embodiments of the present technology may add coke breeze 111 to create a coke product with coke properties similar to a set of target coke properties.

[0037] 2 illustrates an isometric partial cutaway view of a portion of a horizontal heat recovery coke plant according to one or more embodiments of the present technology. An oven 200 of the coke plant may include various ducts, chambers, valves, sensors, or other components described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 17 / 736,960, entitled "Foundry Coke Production, Related Systems and Methods." For example, the oven 200 may include an open cavity defined by an oven floor 202, a pusher-side oven door 204, a coke-side oven door 206 opposite the pusher-side oven door 204, an opposing sidewall 208 extending upwardly from the oven floor 202 and between the pusher-side oven door 204 and the coke-side oven door 206, and an oven crown 210 forming a top surface of the open cavity of an oven chamber 212. Additionally, the oven 200 may include a set of crown air inlets 214 for admitting primary combustion air into the oven chamber 212. In some embodiments, a set of crown air inlets 214 may penetrate the oven crown 210 and allow open fluid communication between the oven chamber 212 and the environment outside the oven 200. In some embodiments, the flow of air through the air inlets or air ducts (e.g., intake ducts) may be controlled by dampers that may be configured in any of several states between fully open and fully closed to vary the amount of air flow. For example, the crown air inlets 214 may include dampers that may be configured in different states to allow air flow to the oven crown 210, such as the crown inlet air damper 216 that operates in a similar manner. Although embodiments of the present technology may use the crown air inlets 214 exclusively to supply primary combustion air into the oven chamber 212, other types of air inlets, such as door air inlets, may be used in certain embodiments without departing from aspects of the present technology.

[0038] As mentioned above, control of the draft in the oven 200 or other operations within the oven 200 may be performed by a control system using the operations described in U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 736,960, entitled "Foundry Coke Product and Related Systems and Methods." Such operations may include operating a coking cycle, which may include charging the coal blend into the oven 200, controlling the intake damper 236 to be configured in any one of several states between fully open and fully closed, and the like. Upon completion of the coking cycle, some embodiments of the present technology may coke the coal blend to produce a coke product useful for producing steel in a cupola furnace. In some embodiments, the foundry coke product may be used in a cupola furnace using the operations described in U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 052,739, entitled "Foundry Coke Product Through Cupola and Related Systems, Processing Methods," the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In some embodiments, the coke product may be removed from the oven 200 through a coke-side oven door 206 using a pusher ram or another mechanical extraction system. In some embodiments, the coke may be quenched (e.g., wet or dry quenched) and sized before delivery to a user.

[0039] III. Foundry Coke Products and Related Systems, Apparatus, and Methods 3 shows a coke particle configured to be heated in a foundry cupola in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology. As shown in FIG. 3, C(b)=bulk carbon, S(b)=bulk sulfur, Ash(b)=ash in the bulk, C(s)=surface carbon, S(s)=surface sulfur, Ash(s)=surface ash (accumulating from the shrinking core), Fe(s)=surface Fe, C * (s) = activated carbon surface, FeC, S *(s)=active sulfur surface, FeS, C(l)=carbon in liquid, and S(l)=sulfur in liquid. Coke particle 300 includes a core 305 that shrinks due to carbon dissolution in the cupola, and the coke particle 300 may be surrounded by bulk liquid 320. As the core 305 of the coke particle 300 shrinks, a diffusion layer including ash and iron radially outward of the core 305 begins to form, for example, due to oxidation and / or combustion of the carbon in the coke particle 300. For example, the coke particle 300 may include a first or ash diffusion layer 310 including ash radially outward of the core 305 and at least partially surrounding the core 305 ("first diffusion layer 310"), and a second or iron diffusion layer 315 radially outward of the core 305 and first diffusion layer 310 and at least partially surrounding the first diffusion layer 310 ("second diffusion layer 315").

[0040] The first diffusion layer 310 may be solid or liquid and may effectively block the coke surface or reduce the mass transfer area across the coke surface into the surrounding liquid metal. Additionally or alternatively, the first diffusion layer 310 may delay the oxidation and / or combustion of carbon in the coke particles in time and / or temperature so that the coke does not produce carbon monoxide in the drying zone, but instead is oxidized and burned in the reaction zone of the cupola. The ash-containing first diffusion layer 310 is formed in part due to the ash melting temperature of the coke product, which is directly related to the composition of the coke particles 300. As described elsewhere herein, the ash fusion temperatures of the coke are lower than conventional coke production and are as follows: 2650°F (1454°C), 2600°F (1427°C), 2550°F (1399°C), 2500°F (1371°C), 2450°F (1343°C), 2400°F (1316°C), 2350°F (1288°C), 2300°F (1260°C), 2250°F (1232°C), 2200°F (1204°C), and 2150°F (1177°C). , 2100°F (1149°C), 2050°F (1121°C), 2000°F (1093°C), 1950°F (1066°C), 1900°F (1038°C), 1850°F (1010°C), or within the range of 1800-2600°F (982-1427°C), 1800-2500°F (982-1371°C), 1900-1300°F (1038-704°C), or 2000-2200°F (1093-1204°C). This relatively low ash fusion temperature may allow for the formation of a diffuse ash layer, for example in the dry zone of the cupola, prior to the reaction zone, which prevents the cooking of the coke, and more particularly the core 305. Additionally or alternatively, this relatively low ash fusion temperature may optimize contact time between the coke 300 and the metal in the cupola as the metal melts in the reaction zone of the cupola and becomes molten, so that more carbon may be transferred from the coke 300 to the metal. This is in contrast to conventional coke production, where the ash is formed deep (i.e., downstream) of the reaction zone, which may have a higher ash fusion temperature resulting in limited contact time between the coke and the molten metal, resulting in relatively less carbon transfer.

[0041] The second diffusion layer 315 forms as the coke particles 300 heat in the cupola and the coke core 305 shrinks. The second diffusion layer can further limit cooking of the coke in the drying zone and / or help ensure that the majority of the coke combustion and oxidation does not occur until the coke reaches the reaction zone. Additionally or alternatively, carbon and sulfur may compete with each other to pass through the second diffusion layer 315. That is, the presence of sulfur may undesirably slow the migration rate of carbon out of the coke 300 and the migration rate of carbon out of the coke 300. In some embodiments, the coke may be pre-fluxed and / or may include (e.g., doped with) additives that act as catalytic materials (e.g., calcium, iron, calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, iron oxide, sodium oxide, and potassium oxide, and / or other oxides with relatively low melting points). As an example, sodium may act as a pre-fluxing agent and iron may act as a pre-fluxing agent and catalytic agent. Catalytic materials may be utilized to capture and flush sulfur from the coke. In some embodiments, prefluxed coke is the result of selecting coal to produce a coke with ash material with a high percentage of the oxides mentioned above. This is in contrast to coke production where calcium oxide or calcium carbonate particles / rocks may be added as flux to remove the ash, which is inefficient due to the very low surface area to volume ratio for the actual fluxing to occur. Additionally, prefluxed coke and / or catalytic agents may promote carbon deposition via the Boudouer reaction, thereby generating more heat and increasing the amount of carbon present in the reaction region (e.g., combustion zone) of the cupola. Without being bound by theory, the prefluxing agent may change the liquidus temperature of the slag (e.g., slag 116; FIG. 1), or more specifically, the liquidus temperature of the ash on or within the coke blended into the bulk slag.

[0042] The improved coke chemistry aims to increase carbon dissolution from the coke particles 300 into the metal (i.e., iron or steel) in the cupola. During operation, as carbon dissolves into the bulk liquid iron in the cupola, the coke core 305 shrinks and ash and impurities accumulate on the surface. Additionally, both carbon and sulfur dissociate from the surface, which may be aided by the catalytic activity of Fe, Ni and other metals. Lower ash melting temperatures, represented by ash melting temperatures (described elsewhere herein), allow for improved ash removal due to faster conversion of ash to the liquid phase, decreasing ash resistance. Carbon and sulfur diffuse through the thin iron diffusion layer. Additionally, carbon and sulfur are competitive and do not readily dissolve or migrate with one another. Thus, a low sulfur content of the coke promotes carbon migration. Additionally, a coke product with a high Coke Reactivity Index (CRI) or low Coke Strength After Reaction (CSR) (described elsewhere herein) allows for more reactive carbon forms to dissociate from the surface, thereby increasing the carbon dissolution rate.

[0043] Various metals added to the foundry coke product produced from the coal blend via ash in the coal blend or otherwise introduced into the foundry coke product can provide catalytic functionality to increase the carbon dissolution rate. In some embodiments, elements (e.g., metals) with multiple oxidation states may change oxidation state in the coke product to provide catalytic activity. For example, the coke product may contain sodium, which may change from an unoxidized state of Na to a first ionic oxidation state of Na. + Alternatively, or in addition, the coke product may contain iron, which may transition from an unoxidized Fe to an oxidized Fe 2+ or Fe 3+ Additionally, the coke product may contain multiple oxidation state elements in oxidized form. For example, the coke product may contain Na in the form of a salt. + or Fe in the form of Fe2O3 3+The coke product may also include other types of metals such as nickel, copper, etc. The catalytic material embedded in the coke product increases carbon dissolution during steel production because at least a portion of the catalytic material remains in contact with the interface between the coke product and the liquid iron bath during steel production.

[0044] 4 illustrates a table of exemplary foundry coke products and foundry coke properties, according to one or more embodiments of the present technique. Some embodiments may use a coke oven, such as oven 200 of FIG. 2, to produce foundry coke product 400. In some embodiments, foundry coke product 400 may be generally rectangular in shape and may have different or similar dimensions along a first length 412, a second length 414, or a third length 416. For example, first length 412 may be greater than 6.0 inches (e.g., 9.0 inches), second length may be greater than 2.5 inches (e.g., 4.0 inches), and third length may be greater than 2.5 inches (e.g., 4.0 inches). In some embodiments, one or more lengths of the shapes of the foundry coke product 400 may be limited to a maximum value. For example, the first length 412 may be between 6.0 inches (15.24 centimeters) and 12.0 inches (30.48 centimeters).

[0045] Due to variations in the specific shape of the foundry coke product, the foundry coke product may be characterized by a range of hydraulic diameters. For example, the foundry coke product 400 may have a hydraulic diameter of 1.0 inch (2.54 centimeters) or more, 2.0 inches (5.08 centimeters) or more, or 3.0 inches (7.62 centimeters) or more, etc. In some embodiments, the hydraulic diameter of the foundry coke product may be larger than the actual diameter of the foundry coke product due to the cross-sectional shape of the foundry coke product.

[0046] Table 450 includes a set of attributes of foundry coke product 400. The attributes of the foundry coke product shown in table 450 can characterize the coke product produced by the operations described in this disclosure. Such attributes can be advantageous to the casting operation, such as having a lower AFT value compared to conventional coke products. Such lower AFT values ​​can be expressed in various forms, such as IDT values ​​or ST values. For example, sample "S4" shown in table 450 has an ash fusion IDT equal to 2150°F (1177°C). Some embodiments can perform operations to reduce low ash fusion to the coke product based on an AFT threshold or target ash fusion range.

[0047] In some embodiments, the target AFT value or AFT range may vary based on the type of ash fusion value used. In some embodiments, the coke product produced may have an IDT that is between 2100°F (1149°C) and 2400°F (1316°C). Some embodiments may include tighter constraints on the coke product. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may include a coke product with an IDT that is between 2100°F (1149°C) and 2250°F (1232°C). Some embodiments may vary the coal blend, soak time, or duration at different damper locations to meet the target IDT. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may select coal blends or determine oven operation based on target IDT values ​​of about 2100°F (1149°C), about 2150°F (1177°C), about 2200°F (1204°C), about 2250°F (1232°C), about 2300°F (1260°C), about 2350°F (1288°C), or about 2400°F (1316°C). In some embodiments, the soak time may be set to start after the peak crown temperature or other peak temperature is reached. Alternatively, the soak time may be set to start after the flue temperature or crown temperature alone without gas flow begins to decrease. Additionally, the soak time may be decreased due to increased coking time of pyrolysis duration, and the soak time may be less than 10.0 hours, less than 5.0 hours, or even less than 1.0 hour. Additionally, some embodiments of the present technology can use a variety of total cycle times and can characterize operations based on the ratio of soak time to pyrolysis duration, which can be less than 33.0%, less than 15.0%, less than 5.0%, or other thresholds that are less than 50%.

[0048] Similarly, some embodiments of the present technology may produce a coke product using the operations described herein having an ST that falls within a particular range, such as 2150°F (1177°C) to 2500°F (1371°C). Some embodiments may implement operations that meet a more stringent range for ST, such as modifying the operations to produce a coke product with an ST between 2150°F (1177°C) and 2300°F (1260°C). Additionally, some embodiments of the present technology may vary the coal blend, soak time, or duration at different damper locations to meet a target ST. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may select a coal blend or determine oven operation based on a target ST value of about 2100°F (1149°C), about 2150°F (1177°C), about 2200°F (1204°C), about 2250°F (1232°C), about 2300°F (1260°C), about 2350°F (1288°C), about 2400°F (1316°C), about 2450°F (1343°C), or about 2500°F (1371°C). Additionally, some embodiments of the present technology may set a target IDT value as a function of the target ST value.

[0049] Similarly, some embodiments of the present technology may produce a coke product using the operations described herein having an HT within a particular range, such as 2200°F (1204°C) to 2350°F (1288°C). Some embodiments may implement operations to meet more stringent ranges of HT, such as modifying the operations to produce a coke product having an HT of 2150°F (1177°C) to 2300°F (1260°C). Additionally, some embodiments of the present technology may vary the coal blend, soak time, or duration at different damper locations to meet a target HT. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may select coal blends or determine oven operation based on target HT values ​​of about 2200°F (1204°C), about 2250°F (1232°C), about 2300°F (1260°C), about 2350°F (1288°C), about 2400°F (1316°C), about 2450°F (1343°C), or about 2500°F (1371°C).

[0050] Similarly, some embodiments of the present technology may produce a coke product using the operations described herein having a FT that falls within a particular range, such as a FT of 2250°F (1232°C) to 2600°F (1427°C). Some embodiments may implement operations to meet a tighter range of FT, such as modifying the operations to produce a coke product having a FT of 2250°F (1232°C) to 2400°F (1316°C). Additionally, some embodiments of the present technology may vary the coal blend, soak time, or duration at different damper locations to meet a target FT. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may select coal blends or determine oven operation based on target FT values ​​of about 2250°F (1232°C), about 2300°F (1260°C), about 2350°F (1288°C), about 2400°F (1316°C), about 2450°F (1343°C), about 2500°F (1371°C), about 2550°F (1399°C), or about 2600°F (1427°C).

[0051] Some embodiments may produce a coke product that meets multiple target ranges for different types of AFT values. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may include a coke product having an IDT of 2100°F (1149°C) to 2250°F (1232°C), an ST of 2150°F (1177°C) to 2300°F (1260°C), a HT of 2200°F (1204°C) to 2350°F (1288°C), or an FT of 2250°F (1232°C) to 2400°F (1316°C). Alternatively, or in addition, various other combinations of target ranges for the coke product are possible. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may include a coke production having an IDT of 2100°F (1149°C) to 2250°F (1232°C), an ST of 2150°F (1177°C) to 2300°F (1260°C), a HT of 2200°F (1204°C) to 2350°F (1288°C), and a FT of 2250°F (1232°C) to 2400°F (1316°C).

[0052] Some embodiments may produce a coke product having an AFT that is within various compositional boundaries for meeting AFT values. For example, some embodiments may produce a coke product having an AFT greater than 2300°F (1260°C) or less than 2600°F (1427°C). Some embodiments may include tighter tolerances for the production or selection of coke products for downstream use, such as 1800°F (982°C) to 2600°F (1427°C), 2200°F (1204°C) to 2500°F (1371°C), 2300°F (1260°C) to 2400°F (1316°C), 2400°F (1316°C) to 2600°F (1427°C), or 2500°F (1371°C) to 2600°F (1427°C).

[0053] Some embodiments may use the operations described in this disclosure to produce coke products characterized by specific types of AFT values. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may produce coke products having an AFT ST of 982°C (1800°F) to 1427°C (2600°F), an AFT ST of 1177°C (2150°F) to 1371°C (2500°F), an AFT HT of 1204°C (2200°F) to 1371°C (2500°F), or an AFT flow temperature (FT) of 1232°C (2250°F) to 1371°C (2500°F).

[0054] As shown in table 450, the CRI value of the foundry coke product may be 36.5% or another value greater than 35%. Some embodiments may perform coke production operations to produce batches of foundry coke that meet one or more CRI thresholds. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may vary the duration between damper configuration changes or select between different damper positions based on the CRI thresholds. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may produce castings with a CRI having another value that is at least 25.0%, at least 30.0%, at least 35.0%, at least 40.0%, at least 45.0%, or at least 30.0%. Some embodiments may perform operations to select coke products with a CRI greater than a minimum CRI threshold for downstream use. In some embodiments, the CRI of the coke product may indicate mass loss from the reaction, and a higher CRI of the coke product may indicate a higher efficiency or utility of the coke product. In some embodiments, the CRI may be calculated using a model based on known properties of the coke product or the coal blend used to produce the coke product. Alternatively, or in addition, the CRI may be obtained experimentally as weight loss measured using established test protocols. For example, in some embodiments, a CRI measurement method such as ASTM method D5341 may be used to determine the CRI value.

[0055] As shown in table 450, the CSR value of the foundry coke product may be another value greater than the CSR threshold, such as 26%, 15.6%, or 7.0%. Some embodiments may perform a coke production operation that produces a batch of foundry coke that meets one or more CSR thresholds. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may change the duration between damper configuration changes or select between different damper positions based on meeting a target CSR threshold, such as a CSR threshold requiring the foundry coke to have a CSR of 40.0% or less, 35.0% or less, 30.0% or less, 25.0% or less, 20.0% or less, 15.0% or less, 10.0% or less, or 7.0% or less.

[0056] As shown in table 450, the SiO2 composition in the coke product ash may include 49.4%, 48.9%, 48.8%, 49.1%, or 46.0%. Other embodiments may include other SiO2 mass fractions in the ash, such as less than 70%, less than 50.0%, less than 45.0%, etc. In some embodiments, a SiO2 mass fraction of about 50.0% in the coke product ash may correspond to a low amount of SiO2 in the coke product itself.

[0057] Additionally, some embodiments of the present technology may produce a coke product having a fixed carbon content (e.g., fixed carbon mass fraction) that is equal to or greater than a fixed carbon threshold. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may produce a foundry coke product having a fixed carbon mass fraction greater than 80.0%, 85.0%, 90.0%, 90.5%, 91.0%, or other value. In some embodiments, the fixed carbon content may be a target range. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may perform a set of operations to produce a coke product having a fixed carbon content that is equal to or less than 94.5% but equal to or greater than 85.0% (although other ranges of values ​​are possible, such as 94.5%-85.0%, etc. Various other target ranges are possible, such as coke products having ranges of 90.0%-95.0%, 85%-99%, etc.

[0058] Further, some embodiments of the present technology may produce coke products having ash mass fractions within a targeted bounded or unbounded range. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may produce foundry coke products having ash mass fractions equal to or greater than 1.0%, 5.0%, 8.0%, 9.0%, 10.0%, or values ​​greater than 10.0%. Further, some embodiments of the present technology may include upper limits for ash mass fraction. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may produce foundry coke products having ash mass fractions less than 1.0%, 5.0%, 9.0%, 10.0%, or values ​​greater than 10.0%. Some embodiments may combine these upper and lower limits for ash mass fraction such that the produced coke product has a range of 5.0%-10.0%, 8.5%-9.0%, 8.0%-10.0%, 5.0%-15.0%, etc.

[0059] FIG. 5 is a chart illustrating foundry coke product yields according to one or more embodiments of the present technology. As shown in chart 500, the foundry yields of different batches of coke product produced from coal blends using the operations described herein may vary. As shown by range 502, the yield may range from about 40% to 60% in some embodiments, which may be a dry yield (i.e., the dry mass fraction of the foundry coke product may be 40% or 60% of the dry mass fraction of the total population of coke product). As shown by data point 553, some embodiments perform an operation that results in a yield that is about 57%, although the yield may be lower in other cases. For example, as shown by data point 551, the yield in some coke production operations may be lower, such as as low as 41%. In many cases, some embodiments of the present technology may perform operations that meet a minimum yield threshold, such as operations that result in a yield of at least 25%, at least 30%, at least 40%, at least 50%, at least 60%, etc. Although some embodiments of the present technology may perform controller optimization operations to improve yield, some embodiments of the present technology may tolerate a predicted yield that is less than the maximum expected yield in order to meet other target coke production parameters.

[0060] FIG. 6 is a chart illustrating particle size according to one or more embodiments of the present technology. As shown in chart 600, the average batch length in inches can vary for different batches of coke product produced from coal blends using the operations described herein. As shown by range 602, the average length of the coke product can range from about 5.5 inches (13.97 centimeters) to about 7.5 inches (19.05 centimeters) in some embodiments. As shown by data point 653, some embodiments perform an operation that results in a coke product average length that is about 7.4 inches (18.796 centimeters), although the coke product average length can be lower in other cases. For example, as shown by data point 651, the coke product average length in some coke production operations can be lower, such as as low as 5.5 inches (13.97 centimeters). In many cases, some embodiments of the present technology may perform operations to meet a minimum coke product average length threshold, such as operations that result in a coke product average length that is at least 2.5 inches (6.35 centimeters), 4.0 inches (10.16 centimeters), 5.0 inches (12.7 centimeters), 6.0 inches (15.24 centimeters), 7.0 inches (17.78 centimeters), 8.0 inches (20.32 centimeters), 9.0 inches (22.86 centimeters), or other lengths. In some embodiments, a larger coke product may result in a more efficient casting operation. While some embodiments of the present technology may perform controller optimization operations to increase the coke product average length, some embodiments of the present technology may tolerate a predicted coke product average length being less than a predicted maximum coke product average length in order to meet other target coke product parameters.

[0061] FIG. 7 is a chart illustrating 4 inch (10.16 centimeter) drop shatter characteristics according to one or more embodiments of the present technology. As shown in chart 700, 4 inch (10.16 centimeter) drop shatter survivability of different batches of coke products produced from coal blends using operations described in this disclosure may vary. As shown by range 702, 4 inch (10.16 centimeter) drop shatter survivability may range from about 80% to about 95% in some embodiments. As shown by data point 753, some embodiments perform operations that result in 4 inch (10.16 centimeter) drop shatter survivability that is about 93%, although 4 inch (10.16 centimeter) drop shatter survivability may be lower in other cases. For example, as shown by data point 751, 4 inch (10.16 centimeter) drop shatter survivability in some coke production operations may be lower, such as as low as 81%. In many cases, some embodiments of the present technology can perform operations that meet a minimum 4 inch splash survivability threshold, such as operations that result in a 4 inch splash survivability of at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, or at least 95%, or at least some other 4 inch splash survivability threshold. In many cases, a greater splash survivability is useful for downstream casting operations because more of the coke product will survive transportation and downstream processing.

[0062] FIG. 8 is a chart illustrating 6 inch (15.24 centimeter) drop splash characteristics according to one or more embodiments of the present technology. As shown in chart 800, the 6 inch (15.24 centimeter) drop splash survivability of different batches of coke products produced from coal blends using operations described in this disclosure may vary. As shown by range 802, the 6 inch (15.24 centimeter) drop splash survivability may range from about 30% to about 80% in some embodiments. As shown by data point 853, some embodiments perform operations that result in a 6 inch (15.24 centimeter) drop splash survivability that is about 80%, although the 6 inch (15.24 centimeter) drop splash survivability may be lower in other cases. For example, as shown by data point 851, the 6 inch (15.24 centimeter) drop splash survivability in some coke production operations may be lower, such as as low as 30%. In many cases, some embodiments of the present technology can perform operations that meet a minimum 6 inch (15.24 centimeter) drop survivability threshold, such as operations that result in a 6 inch (15.24 centimeter) drop survivability that is at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, or at least some other 6 inch (15.24 centimeter) drop survivability threshold, which may be less than the 4 inch (10.16 centimeter) drop survivability threshold.

[0063] FIG. 9 is a chart illustrating ash mass fraction according to one or more embodiments of the present technology. As shown in chart 900, the ash mass fraction of different batches of coke products produced from a coal blend using the operations described herein can vary. As shown by range 902, the ash mass fraction can range from about 7% to about 10% in some embodiments. As shown by data point 953, some embodiments perform operations that result in an ash mass fraction of about 9.7%, although the ash mass fraction can be lower in other cases. For example, as shown by data point 954, the ash mass fraction in some coke production operations can be 8.8%. Additionally or alternatively, as shown by data point 951, the ash mass fraction in some coke production operations can be as low as 7.2%.

[0064] In some embodiments, the ash content of the coke product produced using the operations described herein may be less than an ash mass fraction threshold, which may be 10.0%, 9.0%, 8.5%, 8.0%, 7.5%, or another value less than 50.0%. In some embodiments, the ash mass fraction may be unconventionally higher, such as greater than 10.0%. Alternatively, or additionally, some embodiments of the present technology may produce a coke product having an ash mass fraction that meets an ash mass fraction threshold that is less than 10.0%, less than 9.0%, less than 8.5%, less than 8.0%, less than 7.5%, or less than 7.0%. Some embodiments may include ash in a range, such as 5.5%-7.0%, 6.0%-6.5%, 8.0%-10.0%, or some other value. Additionally, some embodiments of the present technology may produce a set of coke products that meet a target mass fraction value. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may produce a coke product having an ash mass fraction that meets a target ash mass fraction, which may be about 9.0%, about 8.5%, about 8.0%, about 7.5%, or about 7.0%.

[0065] In some embodiments, some embodiments of the present technology may perform operations to produce a coke product that meets a minimum ash mass fraction threshold, such as a coke product having an ash mass fraction that is at least 7.0%, at least 8.0%, at least 9.0%, or at least other ash mass fractions. Additionally, some embodiments of the present technology may determine a coal blend or perform a coke oven operation having an ash mass fraction that is within a predefined range, such as 7.0%-10.0%.

[0066] FIG. 10 is a chart 1000 illustrating moisture mass fractions, according to one or more embodiments of the present technology. As shown in chart 1000, the coke product moisture mass fractions of different batches of coke product produced from a coal blend using operations described herein may vary. As shown by range 1002, the coke product moisture mass fraction may range from about 0% to about 15% in some embodiments. As shown by data point 1053, some embodiments perform operations that result in a coke product moisture mass fraction that is about 15%, although the coke product moisture mass fraction may be lower in other cases. Additionally, as shown by data point 1051, the coke product moisture mass fraction in some coke production operations may be lower, such as as low as 0.5%. In many cases, some embodiments of the present technology can perform operations to meet a minimum coke product moisture mass fraction threshold, such as operations that result in a coke product moisture mass fraction that is at least 7.0%, at least 8.0%, at least 9.0%, or at least some other coke product moisture mass fraction. Additionally, some embodiments of the present technology can determine coal blends or perform coke oven operations having coke product moisture mass fractions that are within a predefined range, such as 7.0%-10.0%. Additionally, some embodiments of the present technology can determine coal blends or perform coke oven operations having coke product moisture mass fractions that are less than a predefined value, such as 10.0% or less, 8.0% or less, 7.0% or less, 5.0% or less, etc.

[0067] FIG. 11 is a chart 1100 illustrating sulfur mass fractions according to one or more embodiments of the present technology. As shown in chart 1100, the sulfur mass fractions of different batches of coke products produced from coal blends using the operations described herein may vary. As shown by range 1102, the sulfur mass fraction may range from about 0.60% to about 0.75% in some embodiments. As shown by data point 1153, some embodiments perform operations that result in a sulfur mass fraction of about 0.73%, although the sulfur mass fraction may be lower in other cases. In addition, as shown by data point 1151, the sulfur mass fraction in some coke production operations may be lower, such as as low as 0.63%.

[0068] In some embodiments, the sulfur content of the coke product may be less than a threshold sulfur mass fraction. For example, the sulfur content of the coke product may be less than 1.0%, less than 0.9%, less than 0.8%, less than 0.7%, less than 0.6%, less than 0.5%, less than 0.3%, less than 0.2%, or less than 0.1%. Some embodiments determine the composition of the coal blend, determine the soak time, or determine the damper control schedule to reduce the amount of sulfur in the coke product. Furthermore, the coke product may be produced based on a target sulfur content value, such as a target sulfur mass fraction of 0.65%. As described elsewhere, by reducing the sulfur content of the coke product, some embodiments of the present technology may increase the efficiency of the casting operation.

[0069] FIG. 12 is a chart 1200 depicting the SiO2 mass fraction versus Al2O3 mass fraction in the ash of a foundry coke product, according to one or more embodiments of the present technology. In some embodiments, the coke product may be characterized based on the mass fractions of SiO2 and Al2O3 or the ratio of these mass fractions. As shown in chart 1200, different samples of coke ash may exhibit different mass fractions or mass fraction ratios of SiO2 and Al2O3. For example, point 1250 shows a sample having a SiO2 mass fraction of about 48.0% and an Al2O3 mass fraction of about 24.3%, suggesting that some ash of the coke product may have a ratio of SiO2 to Al2O3 mass fraction ratio of about 2:1. As shown by range 1201, the SiO2 mass fractions of different samples may range from 48.0% to 51.0% in some embodiments. Further, as shown by range 1202, the SiO2 mass fraction of different samples can range from 24.3% to 28.4% in some embodiments.

[0070] Some embodiments may minimize the combination of Al2O3 and SiO2 or produce a coke product having low amounts of Al2O3 and SiO2. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may perform operations to produce a coke product in which the ash of the coke product has a combination of Al2O3 mass fraction and SiO2 mass fraction that is 65% or less. By reducing the amount of Al and Si in the coke product, some embodiments of the present technology may increase the efficiency of the casting operation by reducing their interference with carbon dissolution during the casting operation.

[0071] Some embodiments may produce a coke product, or a coal blend used to produce a coal blend, that meets other thresholds for Al2O3 or SiO2. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may produce a coke product such that the ash of the coke product, or the ash of the coal blend used to produce the coke product, has an Al2O3 mass fraction of about 30% or less, about 25% or less, or about 20% or less. Alternatively, or in addition, some embodiments of the present technology may produce a coke product such that the ash of the coke product, or the ash of the coal blend used to make the coke product, has an SiO2 mass fraction of about 50% or less, about 45% or less, about 40% or less, or about 35% or less.

[0072] Alternatively or additionally, some embodiments of the present technology may produce a coke product where the sum of the SiO2 mass fraction and the Al2O3 mass fraction of the ash of the coke product, or of the ash of a coal blend used to produce the coke product, is about or less than 80%, about or less than 75%, about or less than 70%, or about or less than 65%.

[0073] FIG. 13 is a chart 1300 depicting Fe2O3 mass fraction versus CaO mass fraction in ash of a foundry coke product according to one or more embodiments of the present technology. In some embodiments, the coke product may be characterized based on the mass fraction of Fe2O3 and CaO or the ratio of these mass fractions. As shown in the chart 1300, different data points representing a coke ash sample may show different mass fractions and mass fraction ratios of Fe2O3 and CaO. For example, point 1351 shows a sample having a Fe2O3 mass fraction of about 12.1% and a CaO mass fraction of about 2.4%. Further, point 1352 shows a sample having a FeOs mass fraction of about 15.0% and a CaO mass fraction of about 2.8%. Further, point 1352 shows a sample having a Fe2O3 mass fraction of about 12.0% and a CaO mass fraction of about 4.5%. Collectively, points 1351 indicate that the mass fraction ratio of Fe2O3 to CaO for some samples may range from about 5:1 to about 5:2 in some embodiments. Further, as indicated by range 1301, the Fe2O3 mass fraction for different samples may range from 11.0% to 15.0% in some embodiments. Further, as indicated by range 1302, the Fe2O3 mass fraction of CaO may range from 2.5% to 4.5% in some embodiments.

[0074] Some embodiments may produce a coke product using an operation to increase the amount of CaO in the coke product. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may operate to produce a coke product in which the ash of the coke product has a CaO mass fraction that is 3.0% or more. Alternatively, or in addition, other maximum CaO thresholds may be used. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may produce a coke product in which the ash of the coke product has a CaO mass fraction that is 10.0% or more, 9.0% or more, 8.0% or more, 7.0% or more, 6.0% or more, 5.0% or more, 4.0% or more, 3.0% or more, 2.0% or more, 1.0% or more, etc. In some embodiments, the coke product may be produced from a coal blend having a high content of CaO, which may be determined by the ash composition. Such a high content of CaO may increase the carbon dissolution rate of the coke product.

[0075] FIG. 14 is a chart 1400 depicting ash softening temperature versus model ash melting temperature for different batches of foundry coke products, according to one or more embodiments of the present technique. In some embodiments, the coke products may be characterized based on their ash ST value, model AFT value, or the ratio of the two values. As shown in the chart 1400, different samples of coke ash may have different ST and model AFT values. For example, point 1451 indicates a sample having an ash ST value equal to about 2300°F (1260°C) and a model AFT value equal to about 2450°F (1343°C). Additionally, point 1452 indicates a sample having an ash ST value equal to about 2550°F (1399°C) and a model AFT value equal to about 2580°F (1416°C). Further, ash ST values ​​for different samples can range from 2300°F (1260°C) to 2600°F (1427°C) in some embodiments, as shown by range 1401. Further, model AFT values ​​for some samples can range from 2450°F (1343°C) to 2600°F (1427°C) in some embodiments, as shown by range 1402.

[0076] FIG. 15 is a chart 1500 illustrating ash softening temperature versus ash mass fraction for different batches of foundry coke products, according to one or more embodiments of the present technology. In some embodiments, the coke products may be characterized based on their ash mass fraction or observed ash ST value. As shown in chart 1500, different samples of coke ash may exhibit different ash mass fractions and observed ST for different ash samples. For example, point 1551 indicates a sample having an ST value equal to about 2350°F (1288°C) and an ash mass fraction of about 7.8%. Further, point 1352 indicates a sample having an ST value equal to about 2560°F (1404°C) and an ash mass fraction of about 8.1%. Further, point 1353 indicates a sample having an ST value equal to about 2500°F (1371°C) and an ash mass fraction of about 8.8%. Some embodiments may produce a coke product with a lower ash content and lower AFT than coke products using conventional coal blends or conventional operations. By reducing the ash of the coke product that can accumulate at the coke surface, some embodiments of the present technology may improve the carbon dissolution rate during the casting operation. Similarly, by reducing the ash melting temperature of the coke product, some embodiments of the present technology may improve the ash dissolution rate by reducing the temperature required to ash from the coke surface during the casting operation.

[0077] In some embodiments, the ash content values ​​of the different samples can range from 2300°F (1260°C) to 2560°F (1404°C), as shown by range 1501. Additionally, the ash content can range from about 7.8% to 8.8%, as shown by range 1502. As shown in chart 1500, some embodiments of the present technology can produce a coke product having an ash mass fraction less than 10.0%, less than 9.0%, or less than another maximum ash mass fraction threshold. Additionally, some embodiments of the present technology can perform operations to maintain a minimum amount of ash product. For example, some embodiments of the present technology can perform coke oven operations to produce a coke product having at least 1.0% ash, 5.0% ash, 7.0% ash, etc.

[0078] 16 is a chart 1600 depicting observed ash fusion temperature versus modeled ash fusion temperature for different batches of foundry coke products, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technique. The chart 1600 includes a first range 1601 illustrating a range of observed AFT values ​​ranging from about 1990°F (1088°C) to about 2800°F (1538°C). The chart 1600 includes a second range illustrating a range of modeled AFT values ​​ranging from 1900°F (1038°C) to 2750°F (1510°C). As the chart 1600 shows, the coke products can exhibit a nearly direct correlation between modeled AFT values ​​and observed AFT values.

[0079] From the foregoing, it will be understood that, although specific embodiments of the present technology have been described herein for illustrative purposes, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present technology. Moreover, certain aspects of the new technology described in the context of certain embodiments may be combined or eliminated in other embodiments. Moreover, although advantages associated with certain embodiments of the present technology have been described in the context of those embodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages, and not all embodiments necessarily exhibit such advantages to fall within the scope of the present technology. Thus, the present disclosure and related technologies may encompass other embodiments not expressly shown or described herein. Thus, the present disclosure is not limited, except as by the appended claims.

[0080] IV. Conclusion It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made to the details of the above-described embodiments without departing from the underlying principles of the present disclosure. In some cases, well-known structures and functions have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments of the present technology. Although method steps may be shown herein in a particular order, alternative embodiments may perform the steps in a different order. Similarly, certain aspects of the present technology that are disclosed in the context of certain embodiments may be combined or eliminated in other embodiments. Furthermore, although advantages associated with certain embodiments of the present technology may have been disclosed in the context of those embodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages, and not all embodiments necessarily exhibit such advantages or other advantages disclosed herein to fall within the scope of the present technology. Thus, the present disclosure and related technology may encompass other embodiments not expressly shown or described herein, and the present invention is not limited, except as by the appended claims.

[0081] Reference herein to "one embodiment," "embodiments," "some embodiments," or similar formulations means that a particular feature, structure, operation, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the technology. Thus, appearances of such phrases or formulas herein do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiments. Furthermore, various particular features, structures, operations, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0082] Unless otherwise indicated, all numerical values ​​expressing weight percent, concentration, composition, and other numerical values ​​used in the specification and claims are understood to be modified in all instances by the term "about". Thus, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the following specification and the appended claims are approximations that may vary depending on the desired properties sought to be obtained by the present technology. As used in this disclosure, unless otherwise disclosed, a numerical value can be considered to be approximately the target value if the difference between the numerical value and the target value is 10% or less of the target value. At the very least, and without attempting to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter should be construed by applying ordinary rounding techniques in light of the number of reported significant digits. In addition, all ranges disclosed herein are understood to encompass any subranges subsumed therein. For example, a range of "1 to 10" includes any and all subranges between (and including) a minimum value of 1 and a maximum value of 10 (i.e., any and all subranges having a minimum value of 1 or more and a maximum value of 10 or less, e.g., 5.5 to 10).

[0083] While the present invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, based on what are presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that such detail is for this purpose only, and that the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover modifications and equivalent arrangements within the scope of the appended claims. For example, it is to be understood that the present invention contemplates that, to the extent possible, one or more features of any embodiment can be combined with one or more features of any other embodiment.

[0084] As used throughout this application, the word "can" is used in a permissive sense (i.e., having the possibility) rather than a required sense (i.e., must). Words such as "comprises," "comprising," "includes," "including," "including (singular)," and the like mean to include but are not limited to. As used throughout this application, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "an element" or "an element" includes a combination of two or more elements, regardless of the use of other terms and phrases for one or more elements, such as "one or more."

[0085] Various other aspects, features, and advantages will become apparent through the detailed description of the present disclosure and the accompanying drawings. It should also be understood that the description of the present disclosure is illustrative and does not limit the scope of the present invention. As used herein and in the claims, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Furthermore, as used herein, "portion" refers to a portion or the whole (i.e., the whole portion) of a given item (e.g., data), unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Furthermore, "set" can refer to the singular or plural, and "set of items" can refer to one item or multiple items.

[0086] The term "or" is non-exclusive (i.e., encompasses both "and" and "or") unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Terms describing conditional relations (e.g., "in response to X, Y," "upon X, Y," "if X, Y," "when X, Y," etc.) encompass causal relations in which the antecedent condition is a necessary causal condition, the antecedent condition is a sufficient causal condition, or the antecedent condition is a contributory causal condition of the outcome (e.g., "condition X occurs when condition Y obtains" is a generic term for "X occurs only because of Y" and "X occurs because of Y and Z"). Such conditional relations are not limited to outcomes that immediately follow the antecedent obtaining; some outcomes can be delayed, and in conditional statements the antecedent is related to that outcome (e.g., the antecedent is related to the likelihood of the outcome occurring). A statement in which multiple attributes or functions are mapped to multiple objects (e.g., one or more processors performing steps / operations A, B, C, and D) encompasses both all attributes or functions mapped to all such objects, and the subset of attributes or functions mapped to a subset of the objects (e.g., both when all processors each perform steps / operations A through D, and when processor 1 performs step / operation A, processor 2 performs step / operation B and part of step / operation C, and processor 3 performs step / operation C and part of step / operation D), unless otherwise indicated. Additionally, unless otherwise indicated, a statement that a value or action is "based on" another condition or value encompasses both the case where the condition or value is the only factor and the case where the condition or value is one factor of multiple factors.

[0087] Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, a statement that "each" instance of a collection has a property should not be read to exclude cases where some other identical or similar members of the larger collection do not have the property (i.e., each does not necessarily mean each). Limitations on the order of steps recited in a claim should not be read into the claim unless expressly specified (e.g., explicit language such as "after performing X, perform Y"). (In contrast, there are language used to facilitate claim readability rather than to specify an order, which may imply an order limitation and may be improperly asserted (e.g., "perform X on the items, then perform Y on the items of X"). Language referring to "at least Z of A, B, C" (e.g., "at least Z of A, B, C") refers to at least Z of the listed categories (A, B, C) and does not require at least Z units in each category. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, throughout this specification, discussions using terms such as "processing," "computing," "calculating," "determining," and the like are understood to refer to specific apparatus actions or processes, such as a special purpose computer or similar special purpose electronic processing / computing device.

[0088] The present technology is illustrated according to various aspects described below, for example, as numbered embodiments (1, 2, 3, etc.) for convenience. These are provided as examples and are not intended to limit the present technology. It should be noted that any of the dependent embodiments can be combined in any combination and arranged in their own independent embodiments. 1. A coke product comprising: A Coke Reactivity Index (CRI) of at least 30%, and Coke products containing an ash fusion temperature (AFT) below 1316°C. 2. A coke product comprising an ash having a composition satisfying the following formula: Ash melting temperature (AFT) = 19 × (Al2O3 mass fraction) + 15 × (SiO2 mass fraction + TiO2 mass fraction) + 10 × (CaO mass fraction + MgO mass fraction) + 6 × (Fe2O3 mass fraction + Na2O mass fraction), where The AFT is a value of 1204°C to 1426°C, the SiO2 mass fraction is the SiO2 mass fraction of the ash; the Al2O3 mass fraction is the Al2O3 mass fraction of the ash, the Fe2O3 mass fraction is the Fe2O3 mass fraction of the ash; the CaO mass fraction is the CaO mass fraction of the ash, and The MgO mass fraction is the MgO mass fraction of the ash. 3. A coke product comprising: A coke product comprising an ash having a composition satisfying the following formula: Ash melting temperature (AFT) = 19 × (Al2O3 mass fraction) + 15 × (SiO2 mass fraction + TiO2 mass fraction) + 10 × (CaO mass fraction + MgO mass fraction) + 6 × (Fe2O3 mass fraction + Na2O mass fraction + K2O mass fraction), where The AFT is a value of 982°C to 1426°C, the SiO2 mass fraction is the SiO2 mass fraction of the ash; the Al2O3 mass fraction is the Al2O3 mass fraction of the ash, the Fe2O3 mass fraction is the Fe2O3 mass fraction of the ash; the CaO mass fraction is the CaO mass fraction of the ash; the MgO mass fraction is the MgO mass fraction of the ash, and The K2O mass fraction is the K2O mass fraction of the ash. 4. A coke product comprising: A coke product comprising an ash having a composition satisfying the following formula: Ash melting temperature (AFT) = 401.5 + 26.3 × SiO2 mass fraction + 40.7 × Al2O3 mass fraction) - 11.0 × Fe2O3 mass fraction - 7.9 × CaO mass fraction - 112 × MgO mass fraction), where The AFT is a value of 982°C to 1204°C, the SiO2 mass fraction is the SiO2 mass fraction of the ash; the Al2O3 mass fraction is the Al2O3 mass fraction of the ash, the Fe2O3 mass fraction is the Fe2O3 mass fraction of the ash; the CaO mass fraction is the CaO mass fraction of the ash; The MgO mass fraction is the MgO mass fraction of the ash. 5. The coke product of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the AFT is equal to at least one of about 1204°C, 1260°C, 1288°C, 1316°C, 1343°C, 1371°C, 1399°C, or 1427°C. 6. The coke product of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the coke product has an initial deformation temperature of 1149 °C to 1316 °C. 7. The coke product of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the coke product has a softening temperature of 1177 °C to 1371 °C. 8. The coke product of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the coke product has a hemisphere temperature of 1204 °C to 1371 °C. 9. The coke product of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the coke product has a fluid temperature of 1232 °C to 1427 °C. 10. The coke product of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the mass fraction of ash in the coke product is 10.0% or less. 11. The coke product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mass fraction of sulfur or sulfur oxides in the coke product is 1.0% or less. 12. The coke product is produced from a coal blend that includes ash containing Al2O3 and SiO2; and 12. The coke product of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the combined mass fraction of Al2O3 and SiO2 of the ash is 65% or less. 13. The coke product of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the AFT is about 1204 °C. 14. The coke product is produced from a coal blend that includes ash containing Al2O3 and SiO2; and 14. The coke product of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the combined mass fraction of Al2O3 and SiO2 of the ash is between 65% and 80%. 15. The coke product of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the AFT is between 1204 °C and 1260 °C. 16. The coke product is produced from a coal blend that includes ash containing CaO; and 16. The coke product of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the CaO mass fraction of the ash is at least 2.0%. 17. The coke product of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the coke product has a coke reactivity index (CRI) of at least 25.0%. 18. The coke product of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the coke product has a post-reacted coke strength (CSR) of 40.0% or less. 19. The coke product of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the coke product has a 2 inch (5.08 centimeter) drop splash of at least 90%. 20. The coke product of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the coke product has a 4 inch (10.16 centimeter) drop splash of at least 80%. 21. The coke product of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the mass fraction of ash in the coke product is at least 8.0%. 22. The coke product of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the volatile matter mass fraction of the coke product is 1.0% or less. 23. The coke product of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the fixed carbon content of the coke product is at least 94.5%. 24. The coke product of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the fixed carbon content of the coke product is at least 85.0%. 25. The coke product contains at least Na +1 , Fe 2+ , or F 3+ 25. The coke product of any one of the preceding embodiments, comprising:

Claims

1. A coke product comprising: A coke product comprising an ash having a composition satisfying the following formula: Ash fusion temperature (AFT) = 19 × (Al 2 O 3 mass fraction)+15×(SiO 2 Mass fraction + TiO 2 mass fraction) + 10 × (CaO mass fraction + MgO mass fraction) + 6 × (Fe2O 3 Mass fraction + Na 2 O mass fraction + K 2 O mass fraction), where The AFT is a value of 982°C to 1426°C, The SiO 2 The mass fraction of the ash is SiO 2 is the mass fraction, The Al 2 O 3 The mass fraction of the ash is Al 2 O 3 is the mass fraction, The FeO 3 The mass fraction of the ash is FeO 3 is the mass fraction, The CaO mass fraction is the CaO mass fraction of the ash; the MgO mass fraction is the MgO mass fraction of the ash; and The above K 2 The O mass fraction of the ash is 2 O mass fraction.

2. 2. The coke product of claim 1, wherein the mass fraction of ash in the coke product is less than or equal to 10.0%.

3. 2. The coke product of claim 1, wherein the mass fraction of ash in the coke product is at least 8.0%.

4. 2. The coke product of claim 1, wherein the volatile matter mass fraction of the coke product is less than or equal to 1.0%.

5. 2. The coke product of claim 1, wherein the mass fraction of sulfur or sulfur oxides of the coke product is less than or equal to 1.0%.

6. The coke product is Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 and produced from a coal blend containing ash comprising The Al of the ash 2 O 3 and SiO 2 2. The coke product of claim 1, wherein the total mass fraction of is 65% or less.

7. The coke product is Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 and produced from a coal blend containing ash comprising The Al of the ash 2 O 3 and the SiO 2 2. The coke product of claim 1, wherein the total mass fraction of is 65% to 80%.

8. 2. The coke product of claim 1, wherein the AFT is about 1204°C.

9. 2. The coke product of claim 1, wherein the AFT is from 1204°C to 1260°C.

10. the coke product is produced from a coal blend that includes ash containing CaO; and The mass fraction of CaO in the ash is at least 2.0%; 2. The coke product of claim 1.

11. 10. The coke product of claim 1, wherein the coke product has a coke reactivity index (CRI) of at least 25.0%.

12. 2. The coke product of claim 1, wherein the coke product has a coke strength after reaction (CSR) of 40.0% or less.

13. 2. The coke product of claim 1, wherein the coke product has a 2 inch (5.08 centimeter) drop splash of at least 90%.

14. 2. The coke product of claim 1, wherein the coke product has a 4 inch (10.16 centimeter) drop splash of at least 80%.

15. 2. The coke product of claim 1, wherein the coke product has a fixed carbon content of at least 85.0%.

16. 2. The coke product of claim 1, wherein the AFT is approximately equal to at least one of 1260°C, 1288°C, 1316°C, 1343°C, 1371°C, 1399°C, or 1427°C.

17. A coke product comprising: A coke product comprising an ash having a composition satisfying the following formula: Ash fusion temperature (AFT) = 19 × (Al 2 O 3 mass fraction)+15×(SiO 2 Mass fraction + TiO 2 mass fraction) + 10 × (CaO mass fraction + MgO mass fraction) + 6 × (Fe 2 O 3 Mass fraction + Na 2 O mass fraction), where The AFT is a value of 982°C to 1204°C, The SiO 2 The mass fraction of the ash is SiO 2 is the mass fraction, The Al 2 O 3 The mass fraction of the ash is Al 2 O 3 is the mass fraction, The FeO 3 The mass fraction of the ash is FeO 3 is the mass fraction, the CaO mass fraction is the CaO mass fraction of the ash; and The MgO mass fraction is the MgO mass fraction of the ash.

18. A coke product comprising: A coke product comprising an ash having a composition satisfying the following formula: Ash melting temperature (AFT) = 401.5 + 26.3 × SiO 2 Mass fraction + 40.7 × Al 2 O 3 Mass fraction) -11.0×Fe2O 3 mass fraction -7.9×CaO mass fraction -112×MgO mass fraction), where The AFT is a value between 1204°C and 1426°C, The SiO 2 The mass fraction of the ash is SiO 2 is the mass fraction, The Al 2 O 3 The mass fraction of the ash is Al 2 O 3 is the mass fraction, The FeO 3 The mass fraction of the ash is FeO 3 is the mass fraction, the CaO mass fraction is the CaO mass fraction of the ash; and The MgO mass fraction is the MgO mass fraction of the ash.

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