Plastic wastes, lube oils and coal-tar are evaluated, individually and combined, as additives to coal blends for the production of blast-furnace coke. The effects of adding 2 wt% of potential additives or their mixtures (50:50 w/w) on the coking capacity of coal, the pressure generated during the coking process and the coke quality parameters were evaluated. Using a combination of polyolefin waste and lubricating oil with high-boiling hydrocarbons has the beneficial effect of reducing the coking pressure generated by polyolefins without any significant deterioration in coke quality.

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This study is concerned with the effects of the composition of mixed plastic wastes on the thermoplastic properties of coal, the generation of coking pressure and the quality of the resulting cokes in a movable wall oven at semipilot scale. The mixed plastic wastes were selected to cover a wide spectrum in the relative proportions of high- and low-density polyethylenes (HDPE and LDPE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). From the results it was deduced that the reduction in Gieseler fluidity in the coal blend is linked to the total amount of polyolefins in the waste. It was also found that these thermoplastics increase the pressure exerted against the wall in the course of the coking process and that coke quality is maintained or even improved. However, when the level of aromatic polymers such PS and PET are increased at the expense of polyolefins, the coking pressure decreases. Thus, the amount of aromatic polymers such as PS and PET in the waste is critical, not only for controlling Gieseler fluidity and coking pressure, but also for avoiding deterioration in coke quality (reactivity towards CO CRI and mechanical strength of the partially-gasified coke CSR). An amount of polyolefins in the waste lower than 65 wt.% for a secure coking pressure is established. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved

Different amounts of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) were added to a bituminous coal used to produce metallurgical coke. The effect of the plastic waste on the carbonization process and more exactly, on the coking pressure were investigated. A movable wall oven at semi-pilot scale was used for measuring coking pressure generated. It was found that coking pressure increases for low LDPE addition levels (1-3 wt.%); however higher amounts of LDPE reduce coking pressure. To explain this behavior different blends of the coal and the residue were pyrolysed at three different temperatures (450, 500 and 600 C) in a Gray-King apparatus. The results show that LDPE causes a modification in the pyrolysis process and also influences the swelling process of the plastic stage. The increase of the coking pressure at low LDPE addition rates is associated with a less permeable coal plastic layer, which prevents the removal of the decomposition products and causes their retention in the semicoke matrix, evolving them in the post-plastic stage. Coking pressure decrease at high LDPE addition rates can be due to the charge shrinkage and the better permeability to the migration of oil components, which suggest a lower interaction between the coal and the LDPE. A delay in the degradation of LDPE is confirmed by the data provided by DRIFT and SEM. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

This paper describes an efficient method for the functionalizing of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) using oscillatory flow mixing (OFM). A 3. l batch oscillatory flow reactor (OFR) was designed and constructed for pilot scale functionalization of MWCNT in order to potentially improve their compatibility within a thermoplastic polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) matrix. The OFM batch reactor consisted of a jacketed cylindrical vessel with a vertical axial oscillator that contained a series of baffled mixing plates. MWCNTs dispersed in dimethylformamide (DMF) were introduced into the reactor and a two stage reaction for functionalizing MWCNTs with PPS compatible groups was carried out under oscillation of baffles at elevated temperatures. Fluid mixing observations in the reactor showed that MWCNTs formed a uniform dispersion of aggregated flocs before and during the functionalization reaction. On completion of the reaction and cessation of the oscillation, the aggregated flocs of MWCNT rapidly sedimented at the bottom of the reactor; hence could be collected as a concentrated mass thereby facilitating the separation of functionalized MWCNTs from the solvent. The functionalized MWCNTs were dried and then characterized by transmission electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy as well as thermal gravimetric analysis in order to investigate the extent of MWCNT functionalization. The characterization results confirmed the effective and relatively uniform functionalization of the MWCNTs despite formation of aggregates, indicating that OFM provides a viable approach for functionalizing MWCNTs. © 2012