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.
