Overview of outcomes of research supported by ACARP and NERDDC on the utilisation of coking coals, 1978-2014

The Australian coal industry has funded a substantial body of work on coking quality, coking behaviour and analytical methods. Many of the findings of this work have not been published in open literature and researchers entering the field are unlikely to be aware of them. The objective of this project was to present an overview and synthesise the main findings of the over 35 years of NERDDC and ACARP support of Australian research into coal and coke.  

A wide range of experimental techniques were applied to its characterisation, and a host of new findings about the nature of Australian coals were made. The early work on liquefaction is also covered, since many of the findings were applied to understanding the nature of coal. Sections dealing with gasification and pulverised coal injection are included.

In this review the main findings, focussing on the research most relevant to coking coals today were summarised.  

An introductory section dealing with the vocabulary of coal and coke and its interpretation is included in the report for people new to the area. A series of questions about the behaviour of coal and coke that are currently unanswered and some questions it is believed have never been asked before are included. The answers to these questions should help the industry understand the complex relationships between coal and coke properties and their behaviour in the blast furnace.