Insights into bio-coke, continuous cokemaking and Carbonite

23 August 2011

The 15th Annual Met Coke World Summit will bring together the leaders in business, associations and academia from the coke, coal and steel industries. Leading up to this year's event, we'll be sharing some thoughts from our speakers and previewing some of the topics that will be covered. Add your name to our mailing list to receive the latest speaker interviews, program updates and more!

Interview with Dr. Richard Patton, Assistant Professor, MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY, US who will be covering Bio-coke: Formed Coke from Bio-char at this year's conference.

What is needed to get "bio-coke" off the ground?
The most important thing needed at this point is some sustained funding. Right now there is very little funding for this idea. The Sustainable Energy Research Center has put small amounts of money (~15k) into this project, but much more is needed.

Can this technology be a reality in the near-term? Or, is there still work to be done?
I'm an optimist, and believe that this could happen in the near term. There is still an enormous amount of work to be done. However, I think that in two-three years, properly funded, the research could produce a production system for bio-coke, as well as some scientific investigation of the bio-coke making process. This is where testing in a blast furnace would begin. Once satisfactory performance was achieved in the blast furnace, the technology would be ready for scale-up to pilot plant and then full commercial production.

How does the performance of bio-coke compare with traditional coke?
Bio-coke would be a very clean fuel, with little or no sulfur or ash. The product would be tailored to replace coke in the blast furnace, so it will have similar properties.

What are the environmental / economic benefits of this technology?
We believe that the bio-coke could be made at a price less than that of current coke. Thus, the marginal cost of coke would go down. For the producer of bio-coke, wood that is going to waste currently could be used to create bio-coke, thus improving the forests. This would have a positive economic impact in rural areas where it would be produced.

Bio-coke, made 100% from wood and other biomass, is CO2 neutral. No greenhouse gases would be released in the blast furnace. This would be a tremendous reduction in the carbon footprint of the steel industry. The steel industry would be much closer to a sustainable energy future.

Have you trialed this technology in a blast furnace?
No. We are at the earliest stages of researching this concept.

Biography: Dr. Richard Patton, PE, Ph.D.
Dr. Patton holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. After a career in industry, he has taught Mechanical Engineering at Mississippi State for 20 years. Dr. Patton has extensive research experience and has obtained over 1.75 million dollars in research funds. Dr. Patton's current interests are in the area of sustainable energy. His major interest is in utilization of solid fuels from biological sources. He has published on the use of solid fuels to power diesel engines, and is working on making bio-coke. Dr. Patton holds 4 patents on a new engine design, and has published over 30 conference and journal papers.

Interview with Dr. Richard Wolfe, CARBONITE CORP., US who will cover "Continuous Cokemaking" at the 15th Annual Met Coke World Summit.

What is the background of Carbonite?
Carbonite is a new word that has received a trademark from the US Patent and Trademark Office as a new carbon based energy fuel. Carbonite was previously referred to by Dr. Wolfe in the 1990's as Char at his previous company, Coal Technology Corporation located in Bristol, Virginia. During this period of 1992-1998, Dr. Wolfe and his team at Coal Technology Corporation with financial support through a grant with the Department of Energy demonstrated in a 10 ton per day pilot plant that Char, now referred to as Carbonite, could be produced continuously from a blend of coal and bio-mass materials through a mild gasification system patented by Dr. Wolfe and his team a Coal Technology Corporation. It was also demonstrated in this pilot plant that Carbonite could then be briquetted and converted continuously into coke in both a tunnel kiln and a rotary hearth furnace.

What is the history and importance of continuous coke making technology?
The importance of the development of a continuous coke making technology is that it is a much more efficient and environmentally acceptable technology to make both foundry and blast furnace coke. In addition, for the first time, a blend of coal and other materials can be feed into the process and within 4 hours coke can be ejected on the other end of the process. This technology will introduce the third and a new generation of making coke thus replacing the previous two cokemaking technologies of bee-hive ovens and slot and horizontal ovens. In addition, coke can be manufactured to meet the same size and quality required by the steel industry.

Is this technology ready for commercial use? Or, is it still in development?
This new technology is now ready for commercial demonstration and the first plant in now under construction in Wise County, Virginia.

Are there any challenges / limitations surrounding this technology?
The basic challenge is to prove this technology in a commercial environment.

What do you plan to discuss in your presentation this November?
I plan to discuss the status of the Carbonite Technology, the quality of coke that can be produced, and the concept of the commercial demonstration plant.

Biography: Dr. Richard Wolfe
Dr. Wolfe formed the Carbonite Corporation in 2009 after receiving a Trademark on Carbonite as a " New Carbon Based Energy Fuel". In 2011, the Carbonite Corporation started the construction of a $20 million commercial demonstration plant with one module to produce continuously both Foundry and Blast Furnace Coke."