Anthracite briquettes with plant byproducts as an ecofriendly fuel for foundries

• Published in: Fuel (Guildford) 2016-07, Vol.175, p.210-216
• Main Authors: Noh, Young Dong, Komarneni, Sridhar, Cannon, Fred S., Brown, Nicole R., Katsuki, Hiroaki
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anthracite coal fines; Cupola furnace; Foundry fuel; Lignin; Rice hull; Rice hull ash
• ISSN: 0016-2361; 1873-7153
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2016.02.049

Effect of Si metal powder on UC strength of anthracite briquettes after pyrolysis. [Display omitted] •Anthracite briquettes were developed with waste anthracite as an ecofriendly fuel.•Ecofriendly fuel is an alternative to conventional coke used in a cupola furnace.•Si metal reacts with anthracite to form SiC providing mechanical strength to fuel.•The novel briquettes showed high mechanical strength in the range of 2000–4000kPa. Anthracite briquettes were developed using mainly waste anthracite fines, plant byproducts of rice hulls and rice hull ash and silicon metal powder as an ecofriendly fuel and as an alternative to conventional coke used in a cupola furnace. Si metal powder reacts with anthracite to form SiC, which provides high mechanical strength to an anthracite briquette when it is exposed to a high temperature in the cupola furnace. Rice hull and rice hull ash, which are agricultural byproducts with high SiO2 content were investigated as partial substitutes for silicon as the former are inexpensive relative to silicon metal. The formation of SiC was investigated under different conditions using X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. In addition, unconfined compressive strength of the briquettes was measured when the rice hull or ash substituted Si powder partially or completely. When anthracite briquettes prepared with elemental Si powder and either rice hull ash or rice hull powder were pyrolyzed at 1400°C for 2h, SiC formed and the briquettes showed high mechanical strength in the range of 2000–4000kPa, which is enough to keep their structural integrity in a cupola furnace.