Coke ovens produce coke by heating bituminous coal without oxygen. Coke is used as a fuel or reducing agent in blast furnaces for smelting iron ore. The coal used for sorting is important, and emissions from coke ovens are carcinogenic.
A coke oven is a device used to produce coke, a product derived from coal. Blending and heating the bituminous coal to temperatures between approximately 1832° to 3632°F (1000° to 2,000°C) within the airless furnace produces the coke byproduct. This device is a crucial part of the coke making process.
Coke is a solid residue of burnt carbonaceous material and contains a minor amount of ash and sulphur. It can be used as a fuel or as a reducing agent in blast furnaces used for smelting iron ore. Coke is generally considered one of the three basic materials for the production of iron, which is then used to make steel, usually in combination with limestone and iron ore. Furnace gases can also be used as fuel.
Most coking plants produce this material by heating coal under controlled circumstances. Since the absence of oxygen is important for obtaining the best quality coke, the ovens are designed to be airless. They can also be arranged in batteries and strategically placed between heating walls. This can increase coke production and furnace efficiency.
In the coke making process, treated coal is fed into the coke oven. Due to the high temperature inside, the coal gas, coal water and tar are separated from the coal. The gas and water then fuse together with the carbon and ash remains. The hard residue that remains at the end of this process is commonly called coke.
The coal used for sorting in the coke making process is often an important part of the process. It can be selected based on factors such as ash and sulfur content, tar, plasticity and volatility. The volatility of coal can be important, as it will allow more and higher quality coke to be produced. This is because the more volatile the coal, the more by-products it will produce, but too much volatility can be bad, as the by-products become too porous to produce quality coke.
Some studies have shown that emissions from coke ovens are dangerous for humans; this has led to the emissions being identified as carcinogenic to humans. These studies have shown a correlation between worker exposure to ovens and occurrences of types of cancer, including those affecting the lungs and intestines. Tests carried out on the skin of animals, such as mice, have also shown that exposure can produce malignant tumors.
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