In cold climates, the freezing of coal and coal concentrates on transportation in winter is a serious problem. In that context, the properties of polyacrylates—in particular, sodium polyacrylate—and the basis of their antifreeze action—essentially, high water absorption and the formation of a gel structure—are studied in detail in the present work. The sorbent Minex B95, which absorbs and binds free moisture and prevents the formation of a monolithic ice structure in the coal mass, is recommended. The technology for dosing the polymer and its consumption standards are described, and its minimal environmental impact and influence on coal quality are confirmed. Comparison with traditional antifreeze methods shows the economic and operational benefits of the proposed sorbent. The introduction of polyacrylates to ensure uninterrupted operation of the coal industry in severe climates is highly effective and of great strategic importance.
Fractions of humic materials, including humic, hymatomelanic, humous, and fulvic acids, are derived from Kansk-Achinsk and South Ural lignite. The yield of humic materials is greatest for naturally oxidized lignite from the Tisul field in the Kansk-Achinsk Basin: 60.9
The influence of the iron and calcium content in coking batch on the reactivity (CRI) and strength after reaction with carbon dioxide (CSR) of laboratory coke is studied by adding components to the batch. Increasing the content of calcium oxide and ferric oxide in the batch’s ash impairs the properties of the laboratory coke produced. The influence of additional iron oxide is stronger and more specific than the influence of extra calcium oxide.
This review centers on research regarding the use of thermal oxidation to improve the coking properties of electrode pitch and expand its applicability in the production of high-temperature pitch and pitch with an elevated softening point, for use as a raw material in generating both pitch coke and modified binder pitch.
The possibility of extracting rare and rare earth metals from volatile ash residues formed in the combustion of lignite from the Transbaikal territory in a semicoking furnace is considered. A semicoke separation system consisting of a furnace with a retort and a unit for gas and dust capture is used for combustion of the lignite at 500–550°C. The efficiency of dust capture is 95
The electrochemical properties of a porous carbon material obtained by alkali activation of sapropelic coal are investigated. Sapropelic coal may be regarded as a promising and readily available precursor for the creation of efficient supercapacitor electrodes. The material is tested in a symmetric two-electrode cell with neutral aqueous sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) electrolyte. Mutually complementary test methods are employed: cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charging and discharging, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The data obtained by independent methods are highly consistent: the values of the unit capacitance obtained by these methods are, respectively, 93.7 F/g (10 mV/s), 90 F/g (10 mA), and 82.6 F/g (0.01 Hz). The optical window of working voltage ensuring stability of the system in an aqueous medium is from ±1.0 to ±1.2 V. The low values of the equivalent series resistance (2.8 Ω) and the resistance to charge transfer (3.5 Ω) confirm the high ionic conduction and accessibility of the material’s pore structure. The conclusion is that activated sapropelic coal is an effective and environmentally benign alternative to traditional carbon materials. The agreement of data from the three electrochemical methods indicates the reliability of the results and the good prospects for using sapropelic coal in the production of energy stores.
On April 23 and 24, 2026, Yekaterinburg hosted the Tenth International Conference under the rubric: The Coke Chemical Industry: Its State and Prospects. In 2025, coke output in Russia was around 26 million t (<5
Mesophase pitch is a complex hydrocarbon dispersion system dominated by a liquid-crystalline phase, which forms during the thermolysis of polycyclic aromatic compounds at temperatures above 380°C. The properties of the mesophase vary significantly depending on the composition of the feedstock, the parameters of the pitch production process, and other factors. The mesophase optical texture, its proportion in the pitch determine the performance characteristics of the material, which necessitates reliable differentiation between different types of mesophase. Mesophase pitch is widely used to produce high-tech carbon materials, whereby the requirements for it depends on resulting material. Systematic approaches to differentiating types of mesophase pitch based on their properties remain insufficiently developed. In this regard, this study proposes a comprehensive methodological approach aimed at identifying and differentiating various types of mesophase, establishing a relationship between feedstock composition, the mechanism of mesophase formation, and the properties of pitches. The role of different classes of compounds in the feedstock and their influence on the mesophase formation mechanism are evaluated, which in the long term enables the adaptation of various feedstock types for producing pitches with different intended uses. The optimal feedstock composition for producing mesophase pitch is determined, and quantitative and qualitative evaluation criteria are developed to enable the differentiation of mesophase pitches by their fields of practical application. Requirements for mesophase pitch depending on the target product are compiled and systematized. This form a scientific foundation for characterizing mesophase pitches as an intermediate stage in the production of carbon materials from hydrocarbon residues.
The pyrolysis of two series of commercial petroleum coke samples that differ significantly in microstructure—isotropic coke and needle coke—is studied by synchronous thermal analysis in combination with mass spectrometry of the gases produced. The particle size (1–2 mm) has the key influence on the thermolysis in a thermogravimetric experiment; on that basis, the structure-dependent aspects of the process may be identified. Isotropic coke is characterized by intense decomposition at lower temperatures (beginning at 521°C) and considerable total mass loss (14.9
According to 2025 data, world exports of metallurgical coal amounted to 325 million t. Australia was the largest exporter, although its share of the total was no more than 45
Optimal organization of heating systems at coke plants is considered, for the example of the coke ovens at Moskoks. In the proposed approach, the heat transfer is intensified, and the temperature gradient over the height of the heating walls in the furnace chamber is increased. To that end, superheated steam is supplied together with air to the regenerator in the ascending line and then to the fuel combustion zone. Computational experiments show that, on supplying steam in different quantities, more heat is transferred from the gas to the wall adjacent to the coke cake, and the temperature gradient over the height of the heating channels in the chamber wall decreases. To ensure optimal organization of the heating system, the supply of steam to the heating channels at a rate of 122.70 m3/h is recommended. That corresponds to the greatest heat transfer coefficient.
The composition of a phenolic concentrate of recycled water from Shubarkol Kumir coke plant formed when water is exposed to gases produced in coking is studied. Gas–liquid chromatography permits the identification of 17 phenolic compounds (91.82 wt
The coking of batch containing lignite and coal of limited metamorphic development is studied experimentally. Up to 10
Quality requirements on coal for power generation and for industry are increasing rapidly at present, with rise in calorific value to 7000 kcal/kg. In most cases, classical coal enrichment cannot affordably meet those standards. A possible alternative is thermal processing of low-ash lignite under pressure. The target products are high-pressure semicoke and combustible gas. This technology is economical and has low environmental impact. Semicoke is primarily used as a highly reactive reducing agent for steelmaking.
The enrichment of pin coal (≤13 mm) is considered for four samples of ash content 32–40
The electrochemical characteristics and charge storage mechanisms of activated sapropelic coal in alkaline (6 M KOH) and acidic (4 M H2SO4) electrolytes are compared. The type of electrolyte determines the dominant energy storage mechanism, as established by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charging and discharging (at a current density of 35.7 mA/cm2), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The maximum unit capacitance (164.8 F/g) and energy (5.72 W h/kg) are recorded in sulfuric acid; that may be attributed to synergy between the capacitance of the double electric layer and the contribution of the fast pseudocapacitance of surface functional groups. Analysis of the impedance spectra reveals no significant diffusional constraints for protons in the coal’s pore structure, whereas substantial Warburg impedance is observed in the alkaline medium on account of the hindered migration of hydrated potassium ions. Despite lower unit capacitance in KOH electrolyte (98.7 F/g), the power density obtained (250 kW/kg) is comparable with that in sulfuric acid. We conclude that, for the chosen current density, the surface of the material is characterized by high kinetic accessibility for ions of both types. It follows from the low internal resistance (1.2 Ω) and high electronic conductivity of the material in both media that activated sapropelic coal is promising as a versatile basis for highly efficient supercapacitors.
In March 2026, the Eastern Scientific-Research Institute of Coal Chemistry (VUKhIN) celebrated its 95th anniversary. On March 4, 1931, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Economic Council of the USSR, the Coal Chemical Institute of the Urals (UUKhIN) was established on the basis of the coal chemical laboratory at Ural Chemical Research Institute (UNIKhIM). The first director was N.N. Rogatkin. In the 1930s, with a view to developing a resource base for the Soviet coke industry, the Institute’s staff began investigating the suitability of coal from the Karaganda, Kizelovsky, and Pechora Basins and also fields in Eastern Siberia, the Baikal region, and Central Asia. Many technologies for coal processing and the production of coke and chemical byproducts have been developed at VUKhIN. Biochemical wastewater treatment technology developed by VUKhIN has been introduced at enterprises in the former Soviet Union, Iran, and Turkey. VUKhIN has assisted in modernizing coal enrichment facilities for the coke industry. For the first time anywhere, selective crushing of coal with pneumatic separation in a fluidized bed has been put into practice. A method of ammonium sulfate production without the need for a saturator has been developed. Venturi scrubbers have been introduced. A scientific school of applied coal petrography has been founded. A theory of coking and has been developed, along with the scientific principles for industrial methods of coal preparation and coking. New technologies have been developed for coke production from poorly caking coal and for the production of special types of coke. Today, VUKhIN is the only Russian institute devoted to research, design, standardization, and development in coke production.
At coke plants, phenolic hydrocarbons are removed from coke oven gas using adsorbent oils derived from coal and petroleum. That process yields a commercial product: raw benzene. Analysis of the deterioration of such absorbent oils over time gives rise to a practical suggestion: for more efficient generation of raw benzene, ensuring the specified characteristics of the treated coke oven gas (for example, the residual content of phenolic hydrocarbons and naphthalene), the use of individual units to produce absorbent oil of the required quality is promising.
The influence of the moisture content in absorbent oil on the efficiency of raw benzene production in the byproduct capture shop at a coke plant is considered. Increase in moisture content of the absorbent is found to lower the efficiency with which phenolic hydrocarbons are absorbed from coke oven gas (on increase of decrease in the active gas–oil contact surface, total capacity of the absorbent, etc.) and subsequently desorbed from the oil in the benzene department. The economic consequences of wetting the absorbent and the use of wet oil are analyzed. In calculations of absorption, the quantitative characteristics negatively affecting the process are determined. The need to minimize the water content in the absorbent oil is confirmed. It is important to take account of possible wetting of the absorbent in organizing raw benzene production and in designing the heat exchangers for the benzene department.
The full cycle of VUKHIN JSC's development of technical specifications for coke chemistry products is described in detail. The importance of conducting an expert review in the relevant technical committee for standardization is noted. The article discusses the many years of experience in developing technical specifications at VUKHIN JSC.
