One of the problems with the direct use of coals containing a high level of volatile matter high VM coal in a smelting reduction furnace is fragmentation. This leads to an increase of the amount of carbonaceous material which becomes dust when a high VM coal is used, to a level higher than 5% of the added fixed carbon, or a few times that when coke is used. In this paper, the simulation method of fragmentation and the influence of heating conditions on fragmentation were investigated and a pretreatment process for coal was considered. (1) The fragmentation of coal in a smelting reduction furnace could be simulated by a series in which there was the heating of coal, rotating it in a drum tester and calculating the consumption by reaction. (2) The influence of the heating condition on fragmentation was investigated by the simulation test. When high VM coal was heated at the temperature of 800-900-degrees-C, the volatile matter could be removed, as well as keeping fragmentation at a low level. (3) Based on above results, the char, which was produced by preheating a high VM coal in a rotary kiln, in which the highest temperature was 850-degrees-C, was used in 5 ton smelting reduction furnace. The amount of carbonaceous dust was decreased to almost the same level as with coke.
