Preparation of High-Strength Coke by Carbonization of Hot-Briquetted Victorian Brown Coal

Cokes with tensile strengths of 6-37 MPa were prepared by binderless briquetting and subsequent carbonization up to 900 degrees C of pulverized Victorian brown coal that had little fluidity and very low reflectance. Application of mechanical pressures of 64-128 MPa at temperatures of 130-200 degrees C caused softening of the coal because of mobilization of both low- and high-molecular-mass components, deformation of the coal matrix, and then coalescence/bonding of particles. The resulting coke had a density as high as 1.1-1.3 g/cm(3) and tensile strength of 28-37 MPa, which was 5-6 times that of conventional metallurgical coke.