Abstract
Thermal desulfurization (TDS) of petroleum coke during calcination is a well-known phenomenon which results in an increase in porosity and decrease in bulk density. Rain Carbon presented a paper recently which explored the potential of using a shaft calciner to TDS coke instead of a rotary kiln calciner. There are some significant benefits in using a shaft calciner due to the slower heat-up rate but the coke structure is still irreversibly changed when sulphur (S) is driven from the coke. This paper presents a review of the differences in TDS at different heating rates and includes high resolution scanning electron microscopy and helium ion microscopy images. The potential for TDS petroleum coke to allow a wider range of GPC raw materials to be used for anode production is discussed. At least one coke calcining company in China has attempted aggressive TDS on a production scale. High S cokes are readily available and cheaper than low S cokes and removing SO2 during calcination is more efficient than removing SO2 from potroom flue-gas streams to meet emission limits. There are significant practical limits to the level of TDS that can be tolerated however, both from a calciner’s perspective and for anode quality/performance reasons.