Mineralogical Study of Beneficiated and Carbonized Indian Coking Coal for Better Utilization: A Case Study

Abstract

Coking/metallurgical coal is one of the essential raw materials for steel industries. The metallurgical coal in India contains high ash content (mineral matters), is rich in inertinite, and requires optimization before its proper utilization. Distribution of mineral matter in coking coal plays a significant role in achieving the desired product for blast furnace and coke-making operations. The present paper reports a case study on the distribution and nature of mineral matter in Indian coking coals at varying densities with respect to the coal’s beneficiation behavior. The maceral analysis indicated the maximum liberation of reactives at the relative density (RD) of 1.2–1.3 g/cm3 while maximum inerts concentrated at the highest density (RD > 1.8 g/cm3). The most dominating mineral matter found in the coal is argillaceous minerals containing substantial amounts of quartz followed by carbonate and sulfides existing as cavity fillings or in disseminated form. X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and electron-probe microanalysis (EPMA) techniques were used to study the mineral distribution and transformation behavior of coke produced from the coking coal during carbonization process. A case study on the reactivity of dispersed mineral matter in coke and the implication of mineral transformation behavior on coke is also discussed in this paper.