# US 12,110,457 B2 · Method of estimating surface tension of coal inert material, method of estimating surface tension of coal, and method of producing coke

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- Number: US 12,110,457 B2
- Document ID: US12110457B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/770,573
- Filed: 2020-10-14
- Published: 2022-09-15
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2019-10-28
- Assignees: Jfe Steel Corporation
- Applicants: JFE Steel Corporation
- Inventors: Daisuke Igawa; Yusuke Dohi; Tetsuya Yamamoto
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12110457B2

## CPC

- C10B 57/04: using charges of special composition
- C10B 45/00: Other details
- C10L 5/04: Raw material {of mineral origin} to be used; Pretreatment thereof {(pretreatment of fuels of non-mineral origin C10L5/40)}
- G01N 13/00: Investigating surface or boundary effects, e.g. wetting power; Investigating diffusion effects; Analysing materials by determining surface, boundary, or diffusion effects (scanning-probe techniques or apparatus G01Q)
- G01N 33/222: {Solid fuels, e.g. coal}
- G01N 2203/0226: High temperature; Heating means
- C10B: DESTRUCTIVE DISTILLATION OF CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS FOR PRODUCTION OF GAS, COKE, TAR, OR SIMILAR MATERIALS (cracking oils C10G; underground gasification of minerals E21B43/295)
- C10L: FUELS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NATURAL GAS; SYNTHETIC NATURAL GAS OBTAINED BY PROCESSES NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C10G OR C10K; LIQUIFIED PETROLEUM GAS; USE OF ADDITIVES TO FUELS OR FIRES; FIRE-LIGHTERS
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

A method of estimating a surface tension of coal inert material includes determining in advance a first relational expression representing a relationship between a surface tension of coal inert material and a physical property value representing a coal rank; and measuring the physical property value representing the coal rank of a coal for which the surface tension of coal inert material is to be estimated, and calculating the surface tension of the coal inert material by using the measured physical property value representing the coal rank and the first relational expression.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of estimating a surface tension of coal inert material comprising:
determining in advance a first relational expression representing a relationship between a surface tension of coal inert material and a physical property value representing a coal rank;
measuring the physical property value representing the coal rank of a coal for which the surface tension of coal inert material is to be estimated, and calculating the surface tension of the coal inert material by using the measured physical property value representing the coal rank and the first relational expression, and
determining a blending ratio of different coals based on the calculated surface tension to form a coal blend;
wherein the first relational expression is represented by formula (2);
γ100=−14.791Ro+59.324 (2)
wherein, γ is the surface tension, γ100 is the surface tension of inert material at 100% inert material and Ro is the physical property value representing coal rank and is a mean maximum vitrinite reflectance in JIS M 8816;
wherein the resulting strength of the coke made from the coal blend containing a mixture of coals with a similar γ is higher than that of a coke made from a coal blend containing a mixture of coals with different γ.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the surface tension is a surface tension of coal inert material of a semicoke made by heating coal to a temperature of 350° C. or higher and 800° C. or lower.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A method of estimating a surface tension of coal comprising:
calculating a second relational expression representing a relationship between a surface tension and a total inert content of coal from a predetermined surface tension of reactives and a surface tension of inert material estimated by the method according to claim 1; and
measuring the total inert content of a coal of which the surface tension is to be estimated, and calculating the surface tension of the coal by using the measured total inert content and the second relational expression,
wherein the second relational expression is represented by formula (3):
γ=[(γ100−γ0)/100]×TI+γ0 (3)
wherein, γ is the surface tension,
γ100 is the surface tension of inert material at 100% inert material,
γ0 is the surface tension of inert material at 100% reactives, and
TI is the total inert content defined in JIS M 8816 and indicates the proportion (vol %) of inert material contained in coal.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined surface tension of reactives is an arithmetic mean of surface tensions of reactives in different brands of coal.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A method of producing coke comprising: blending coals having surface tensions estimated by
calculating a second relational expression representing a relationship between a surface tension and a total inert content of coal from a predetermined surface tension of reactives and a surface tension of inert material estimated by the method according to claim 1; and
measuring the total inert content of a coal of which the surface tension is to be estimated, and calculating the surface tension of the coal by using the measured total inert content and the second relational expression,
wherein the second relational expression is represented by formula (3):
γ=[(γ100−γ0)/100]×TI+γ0 (3)
wherein, γ is the surface tension,
γ100 is the surface tension of inert material at 100% inert material,
γ0 is the surface tension of inert material at 100% reactives, and
TI is the total inert content defined in JIS M 8816 and indicates the proportion (vol %) of inert material contained in coal
to form a coal blend; and
carbonizing the coal blend to produce coke.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

A method of estimating a surface tension of coal comprising:
calculating a second relational expression representing a relationship between a surface tension and a total inert content of coal from a predetermined surface tension of reactives and a surface tension of inert material estimated by the method according to claim 2; and
measuring the total inert content of a coal of which the surface tension is to be estimated, and calculating the surface tension of the coal by using the measured total inert content and the second relational expression,
wherein the second relational expression is represented by formula (3):
γ=[(γ100−γ0)/100]×TI+γ0 (3)
wherein, γ is the surface tension,
γ100 is the surface tension of inert material at 100% inert material,
γ0 is the surface tension of inert material at 100% reactives, and
TI is the total inert content defined in JIS M 8816 and indicates the proportion (vol %) of inert material contained in coal.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A method of producing coke comprising: blending coals having surface tensions estimated by
calculating a second relational expression representing a relationship between a surface tension and a total inert content of coal from a predetermined surface tension of reactives and a surface tension of inert material estimated by the method according to claim 1; and
measuring the total inert content of a coal of which the surface tension is to be estimated, and calculating the surface tension of the coal by using the measured total inert content and the second relational expression,
wherein the second relational expression is represented by formula (3):
γ=[(γ100−γ0)/100]×TI+γ0 (3)
wherein, γ is the surface tension,
γ100 is the surface tension of inert material at 100% inert material,
γ0 is the surface tension of inert material at 100% reactives, and
TI is the total inert content defined in JIS M 8816 and indicates the proportion (vol %) of inert material contained in coal;
wherein the predetermined surface tension of reactives is an arithmetic mean of surface tensions of reactives in different brands of coal
to form a coal blend; and carbonizing the coal blend to produce coke;
wherein the resulting strength of the coke made from the coal blend containing a mixture of coals with a similar γ is higher than that of a coke made from a coal blend containing a mixture of coals with different γ.

### Claim 8

A method of producing coke comprising: blending coals having surface tensions estimated by
determining in advance a first relational expression representing a relationship between a surface tension of coal inert material and a physical property value representing a coal rank;
measuring the physical property value representing the coal rank of a coal for which the surface tension of coal inert material is to be estimated, and calculating the surface tension of the coal inert material by using the measured physical property value representing the coal rank and the first relational expression, and
determining a blending ratio of different coals based on the calculated surface tension to form a coal blend;
wherein the first relational expression is represented by formula (2);
γ100=−14.791Ro+59.324 (2)
wherein, γ is the surface tension, γ100 is the surface tension of inert material at 100% inert material and Ro is the physical property value representing coal rank and is a mean maximum vitrinite reflectance in JIS M 8816
to form a coal blend; and
carbonizing the coal blend to produce coke;
wherein the resulting strength of the coke made from the coal blend containing a mixture of coals with a similar γ is higher than that of a coke made from a coal blend containing a mixture of coals with different γ.