Characterization of microscopic structure and analysis of coking process for various coking coals

XPS, XRD, thermogravimetrc and a 300 kg coke furnace were combined to investigate the microscopic mechanism of four coking coals. The result illuminated that the maximum rate of weight loss SJ coal were superior to that of SM coal in the rapid pyrolysis stage. Moreover, the maximum rate of weight loss FM-1 coal were above the FM-2 coal in the rapid pyrolysis stage. Furthermore, the aromatic carbon and the aliphatic carbon content of SM coal exceeded that of SJ coal. However, the phenolic hydroxyl carbon and the ether carbon content of FM-1 coal were higher than FM-2 coal. It well demonstrated the difference of maximum rate of weight loss, weight loss and maximum temperature of weight loss between four samples. The quantity of the aromatic carbon, the phenolic hydroxyl carbon and the ether carbon affected the rapid pyrolysis and polycondensation reaction in the coking process. The mechanism of coke quality difference was attributed to various lattice spacing, stacking height and graphitization degree.