Performance: Briquetting of carbon fines
Demonstration conducted at SWERIM in Sweden, using an ammonium lignosulfonate from Borregaard. Carbon fines require low-ash organic binders with coke yield to provide hot binding strength. The lignosulfonate contains less than 1% ash and provides a 48% coke yield
The binding properties were tested on carbon (anthracite) fines with a particle size <500 microns. Cylindrical briquettes were produced using a hydraulic piston press. A total of 1500 g of anthracite fines was mixed with 20-100 g of binder and 60-75 g of water in an Eirich mixer. The mixture was pressed at 100 kN with a 40 mm diameter mold for 10 seconds. The briquettes were dried at 105°C for 1 hour. Strength (splitting force) was measured at both 20°C and 1250°C
Key takeaways:
- Strength increased with lignosulfonate dose
- Binding properties remained even at 1250°C