Progress in Caking Mechanism and Regulation Technologies of Weakly Caking Coal

Zhaoyang Li, Shujun Zhu (), Ziqu Ouyang, Zhiping Zhu and Qinggang Lyu
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Zhaoyang Li: State Key Laboratory of Coal Conversion, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
Shujun Zhu: State Key Laboratory of Coal Conversion, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
Ziqu Ouyang: State Key Laboratory of Coal Conversion, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
Zhiping Zhu: State Key Laboratory of Coal Conversion, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
Qinggang Lyu: State Key Laboratory of Coal Conversion, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 15, 1-22

Abstract: Efficient and clean utilization remains a pivotal development focus within the coal industry. Nevertheless, the application of weakly caking coal results in energy loss due to the caking property, thereby leading to a waste of resources. This paper, therefore, concentrates on the caking property, offering insights into the relevant caking mechanism, evaluation indexes, and regulation technologies associated with it. The caking mechanism delineates the transformation process of coal into coke. During pyrolysis, the active component generates the plastic mass in which gas, liquid, and solid phases coexist. With an increase in temperature, the liquid phase is diminished gradually, causing the inert components to bond. Based on the caking mechanism, evaluation indexes such as that characteristic of char residue, the caking index, and the maximal thickness of the plastic layer are proposed. These indexes are used to distinguish the strength of the caking property. However, they frequently exhibit a poor differentiation ability and high subjectivity. Additionally, some technologies have been demonstrated to regulate the caking property. Technologies such as rapid heating treatment and hydrogenation modification increase the amount of plastic mass generated, thereby improving the caking property. Meanwhile, technologies such as mechanical breaking and pre-oxidation reduce the caking property by destroying agglomerates or consuming plastic mass.

Keywords: weakly caking coal; caking property; caking mechanism; evaluation indexes; regulation technologies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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