Industrial Energy Systems | Metallurgical Fuels
Metallurgical fuels have the required physical and chemical characteristics for economic metals production. These fuels include metallurgical or coking coals, metallurgical coke, and fuels for injection to blast furnaces to produce iron for steelmaking. Approximately 70% of the world's steel production (1.34 billion metric tonnes in 2007) is dependent on metallurgical coal.
CanmetENERGY researches ways to increase the efficiency of metallurgical fuels, which are primarily used by iron and steel industries. The research includes increasing the efficiency of the iron and steel making processes and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with this work. We focus on:
- GHG mitigation
- Biofuels for steelmaking
- Coking and dry quenching processes
- CO2 capture and storage
- Coal and coke standards for Canada
As coke is the most important raw material fed into a blast furnace, we work to improve the behaviour of coals during carbonization in order to provide high quality coke while ensuring efficient industrial operations. Introduction of high quality coke to a blast furnace results in lower coke rates, higher productivity, lower hot metal costs and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. A good quality metallurgical coke is generally made from the carbonization of several good quality coking coals so we also develop methods to enhance coal blend properties for carbonization.
We also focus on the development of technologies to use coke and alternative fuels in blast furnaces and other metallurgical processes, and to demonstrate the advantages of Canadian coals to world markets.
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