Research and Development History of Coke Manufacturing in Japan

Abstract

Since iron smelting furnace process of ore with charcoal started in 1881 at Kamaishi, Iwate, Japan, coke manufacturing from coal was attempted by using various ovens, that is, Beehive-, Copee-, Semet-Solvay-, Koppers-, and Kuroda-oven. Manufacturing of coke with verified quality for blast furnace is dependent upon the nature of coal as a starting material. This review concerns with mainly carbonization characteristics of coal with respect to the coal science up to about 2000.
Particular attentions are paid to the following topics.
- Thermoplasticity including coking and caking properties of coals.
- Mesophase, which is governing the performance of coke in blast furnace, appearing between coal and coke during carbonization.
- Coalification as a natural carbonization and carbonization on heating.
- Reflectance and some physical properties of coal as quality control parameters.
Persons at the dawn of coke industry in Japan are introduced at the attached section.