Pulverized injectability assessment of selected Nigerian coals

Nigeria is not endowed with coking coals to produce about 1 million tons of coke annually for its proposed steel plant in Ajaokuta. This work is therefore an effort to predict the useability of some Nigerian coals for injection into the blast furnace to significantly reduce coke consumption. The proximate analysis of Nigerian coals from Enugu, Okaba, Lafia and Onyeama was carried out and the results obtained gave moisture of 8.3%, 13.9% 1.5%, 3.4%; ash (db) of 7.9%, 7.6%, 25.6%, 13.8%; volatile matter(ad) of 46.1%, 50.7%, 22.6%, 40.4% and sulphur (ad) of 0.4%, 0.6%, 2.3%, 0.5%; respectively. The analysis parameters determined suggest that subject to pilot scale investigation, Enugu, Onyeama and de-ashed Okaba coals may be injected into the blast furnace at a reasonable rate with a reduction of about 38.1% in coke rate. A successful injection of local coals into the blast furnace at Ajaokuta will make the ironmaking process economical and sustenable.Keywords: Coal, Coking, Coke Rate, Pulverized Injection, Blast FurnaceJournal of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology, Volume 1