The kinetics of reaction of a coke analogue in CO2 gas

Coke is a key reagent in the iron blast furnace process. To enhance its performance in the blast furnace, better understanding of the kinetics of coke's reactions in the blast furnace is necessary. This study introduces and evaluates a new approach for the coke kinetic studies, through the use of a coke analogue. The analogue has been developed as a laboratory test material to minimise uncertainty associated with the complexity and inherent heterogeneity of industrial coke when used in coke gasification studies. Kinetic studies of the reaction of coke analogue with CO2 were conducted using thermogravimetric analysis at temperatures between 1173 and 1623 K. It was found that the analogue displayed similar reaction behaviour to industrial coke and chars; the gasification rate of the coke analogue was found to increase with increasing temperature. Two temperature zones corresponding to different kinetic control regimes, chemical reaction controlled and mixed controlled, have been identified, similar to those found for industrial coke. This has been interpreted as indicating that the coke analogue is a suitable tool for the study of coke gasification kinetics.