Changes in granulometric composition of blast-furnace coke

The basic requirements on the granulometric composition of blast-furnace coke are considered. The change in granulometric composition over time is considered for the example of Krivoi Rog coke plant (now the coke-production facility at PAT ArcelorMittal Krivoi Rog). Recently, the size classes in the gross coke produced have been redistributed, with increase in the content of the >80 mm, <25 mm, and 80–60 mm classes; coke quality (in terms of the strength M ₂₅ and ease of wear M ₁₀) has also declined. To obtain more uniform granulometric composition, consistent mechanical treatment of the coke is required.     

Influence of the coking properties of coal batch on coke properties

At OAO Zapadno-Sibirskii Metallurgicheskii Kombinat (ZSMK), research is undertaken to improve the optimization of coking batch. The basic approach, proposed by specialists from OAO Nizhne-tagil’skii Metallurgicheskii Kombinat, employs the coefficient K _opt, which characterizes the deviation of the batch from its optimal composition. The coking properties of the OAO ZSMK coal batch over the last few years are analyzed. After laboratory and industrial coking of batch with different K _opt, the strength and reactivity of the resulting coke is investigated. Evaluation of coke-grade coal in terms of its rank according to State Standard GOST 25543-88 proves inadequate, since coal of the same rank may differ markedly in coking properties. A method is established for assessing the optimality of the coal batch at OAO ZSMK.     

Optimizing the preparation of coal batch for coking at ChAO Makeevkoks

The expediency of introducing up-to-date systems in the preparation of coal batch for coking at ChAO Makeevkoks is evident if the quality of the coal concentrates employed is assessed in terms of technical, plastometric, petrographic, and granulometric characteristics. Coking trials indicate that separating out the small coal classes prior to final crushing significantly improves the technological characteristics (M ₂₅, M ₁₀) and structural parameters (the Ginzburg abrasive hardness and Gryaznov structural strength) of the blastfurnace coke produced. Introducing hydrocarbon briquets in the coal batch permits the utilization of coking waste without impairing the coke strength.     

Evaluating ukrainian coal batch in terms of optimal rank composition

The overall decline in the optimality coefficient K _opt of the rank composition of coking batch at Ukrainian plants in 2004 (77.4%), 2005 (73.0%), and 2006 (66.9%) may be attributed primarily to the growing shortage of clinkering coal. For Russian and Ukrainian coke, the dependence of M ₂₅ on K _opt is described by regression equations with similar coefficients.     

Batch and semicontinuous emulsion copolymerization of vinylidene chloride and butyl methacrylate. I. Kinetics in VDC–BMA emulsion polymerization and surface and colloidal properties of VDC–BMA latexes

Vinylidene chloride (VDC)—butyl methacrylate (BMA) comonomer mixtures with various composition (83 : 17, 60 : 40, 33 : 67 in mol %) were polymerized at 25°C using redox catalyst by batch and seeded semicontinuous emulsion copolymerization. The reactivity ratios determined in VDC (M₁)—BMA (M₂) emulsion copolymerization system were r₁ = 0.22 and r₂ = 2.41. Seven 35% solids (83 : 17 mol %) VDC–BMA copolymer latexes were prepared: one batch (G), one seeded batch (F), and 5 seeded semicontinuous polymerizations of 5 different monomer feed rates ranging from 0.27 (A) to 1.10 wt %/min (E). The kinetic studies of seeded semicontinuous polymerizations A-E showed that the rates of polymerizations (R_p) were controlled by the monomer addition rates (R_a). The conversion versus time curves for the polymerizations of 0 : 100–100 : 0 VDC–BMA mixtures by batch polymerization showed that the rate of polymerization (R_p) was a function of the number of particles, and that the rate of polymerization in a latex particle (R_pp) increased with increasing proportions of butyl methacrylate in the monomer mixture. All of the latexes had narrow particle size distributions. The greater particle number density in VDC polymerization and the greater water solubility of VDC suggest that the homogeneous nucleation mechanism is operative in VDC–BMA copolymerizations. The latex copolymers prepared by semicontinuous polymerization had lower number-and weight-average molecular weights than those of the corresponding batch copolymers, resulting from the monomer starvation occurring during the semicontinuous polymerization. The surface characterization study of the cleaned latexes showed that for the latexes by batch process, the surface charge density derived from strong-acid groups decreased with increasing proportion of VDC in the monomer mixture. On the other hand, for the latexes prepared by semicontinuous polymerization, the surface charge density derived from strong-acid groups did not depend on the monomer composition of the copolymers.     

Industrial utilization of spent ion-exchange resin in the coke battery

Experimental coking with spent ion-exchange resins as an additive in the coal batch is considered; rammed batch is employed. Both box coking and large-scale coking are considered; the resin content in the batch is 1–5 wt %. The influence of the resins on coke quality is assessed. The coal blend used in industrial coke production is employed. Adding small quantities of resin (<5 wt %) to the batch improves the coke’s cold strength M ₈₀ and M ₄₀, without impairment of CRI and CSR. The quality of the coal tar and the organized gas emission remains unchanged. Hence, spent ion-exchange resins may be recycled by adding small quantities (3%) to the coal batch in coke production.     

Heterogeneity of active sites of Ziegler‐Natta catalysts: The effect of catalyst composition on the MWD of polyethylene

Experimental data on the molecular weight distribution (MWD) of polyethylene (PE) produced over a broad number of Ziegler‐Natta catalysts differing in composition and preparation procedure are presented. These catalysts include nonsupported TiCl₃ catalyst, four types of supported titanium‐magnesium catalysts (TMC) differing in the content of titanium and the presence of various modifiers in the composition of the support, and a supported catalyst containing VCl₄ as an active component instead of TiCl₄. The studied catalysts produce PE with different molecular weights within a broad range of polydispersity (M_w/M_n = 2.8–16) under the same polymerization conditions. The heterogeneity of active sites of these catalysts was studied by deconvolution of experimental MWD curves into Flory components assuming a correlation between the number of Flory components and the number of active site types. Five Flory components were found for PE produced over nonsupported TiCl₃ catalysts (M_w/M_n = 6.8), and three–four Flory components were found for PE produced over TMC of different composition. A minimal number of Flory components (three) was found for PE samples (M_w/M_n values from 2.8 to 3.3) produced over TMC with a very low titanium content (0.07 wt %) and TMC modified with dibutylphtalate. It was shown that five Flory components are sufficient to fit the experimental MWD curve for bimodal PE (M_w/M_n = 16) produced over VMC. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Influence of the reactivity of coke on blast-furnace performance

The cold strength M ₂₅₍₄₀₎ and M ₁₀ of the coke determines the gas permeability of the batch bed in the blast furnace down to the viscoplastic zone of the ore and the coke windows in that zone. The hot characteristics CRI and CSR determine the mechanical strength of the coke in the lower part of the furnace batch, in and below the viscoplastic zone, including the furnace well. It is wrong to regard the hot and cold characteristics as alternatives, since they describe different conditions; the significance of each one should be acknowledged. The coke consumption may be reduced with increase in reactivity of the coke, so long as the high initial strength of the coke is maintained. The minimum permissible reactivity of the coke without clogging of the hearth depends on the operating conditions in the specific blast furnace.     

Prediction of molecular weight distribution of high-density polyethylene made in a continuous reactor from fixed ethylene concentration batch reactor data

The polydispersity index, M_w/M_n, of the product of an ideal continuous stirred tank reactor can be predicted from batch reactor data. A method for the prediction, in the case of high-density polyethylene synthesis, comes from finding the effect of catalyst age upon yield, M_w, and M_n in a batch reactor operated at constant pressure. These catalyst age effects are combined with the catalyst age distribution in the continuous reactor, and integration over all ages gives the yield and the polydispersity index for the continuous reactor product. This scheme for prediction was applied to a particular catalyst system, and the calculated values have been found to agree with observations.     

Effect of KOH concentration in the gel polymer electrolyte for direct borohydride fuel cell

The performance of a direct borohydride fuel cell (DBFC) based on a polyacrylamide (PAAm) gel polymer electrolyte system is investigated at different electrolyte concentrations. The DBFC, constructed using 2M sodium borohydride (NaBH₄) as the fuel and potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution gelled with PAAm as the electrolytes yield the highest electrical conductivity of 2.73 × 10^?1 S cm^?1 at 6M KOH. The optimized composition, PAAm + 2M NaBH₄ + 6M KOH, and the selected composition, PAAm + 2M NaBH₄ + 3M KOH are then used in preparing the cells. Open‐circuit voltages for fuel cells is about 0.85–0.92 V, and the discharge characteristic produce discharge capacities of about 257.12–273.12 mAh cm^?2 for cells with PAAm‐6M KOH. Current‐voltage and current density‐power density plots and internal resistance for both cells are almost the same. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Abrasive tool made of silicon carbide micropowders on a ceramic binder

The processes that take place in silicon carbide microabrasive powders in firing of abrasives were examined and the effect of the granulometric composition of the powders on the properties of the articles were investigated. The possibility of obtaining articles of a given hardness using micropowders of different granulometric composition was demonstrated. __________ Translated from Steklo i Keramika, No. 8, pp. 33–35, August, 2007.     

Emulsion copolymerization of N-phenylmaleimide with styrene

Emulsion copolymerization of N-phenylmaleimide (PMI) with styrene (St) was conducted via semibatch and batch methods. The effect of monomer mixture composition and method of copolymerization on copolymer structure-property relationships was investigated. The semibatch copolymers have a homogeneous molecular structure, exhibiting a single T_g which increases linearly with increasing PMI content. The batch copolymers have a heterogeneous molecular structure, exhibiting two T_g's, assigned to the polystyrene (PSt) and poly(PMI-co-St) components. The composition drift in the batch-copolymerized product, at different conversion levels, was examined by DSC and FTIR techniques. In general, the inherent viscosity of the semibatch copolymers is lower than that of the corresponding batch ones. The Young's modulus increases for the semibatch copolymers, with increasing PMI content, while a clear trend for the batch copolymers is not found. The tensile strength tends to decrease for both types of copolymers when PMI content increases. The thermal stability increases with increasing PMI content in the copolymers. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Optimizing coke production at OAO EVRAZ ZSMK on the basis of the available coal

A model is proposed for predicting the coke strength (M ₄₀ and M ₁₀) and its NSC parameters CSR and CRI on the basis of the chemical and petrographic parameters of the coal. The model takes account of the chemical composition of the ash, the duration of coking, and the coke-slaking technology. On the basis of this model, the technological value of the coal types used at OAO EVRAZ ZSMK is assessed, and the batch composition is optimized to produce coke of elevated quality.     

Mechanical and physicochemical properties of coke produced by wet and dry slaking

Relations of the form M ₁₀ = f(M ₂₅), CSR = f(M ₂₅), CRI = f(M ₁₀) and CSR = f(CRI) are investigated for wet- and dry-slaked coke. The corresponding mathematical models-linear regression equations-describe these relations with a mean square deviation that is consistent with the relevant standards. The discrepancy between the predicted and actual characteristics of the coke may be considerably increased by adopting special preparation methods and/or by increased basicity of the ash content in the batch.     

Controlled antibody release from a matrix of poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) fractionated with a supercritical fluid

A new method is presented for controlling the rate of antibody (Ab) release from an inert matrix composed of poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVAc), a biocompatible polymer that is frequently used to achieve controlled release. Using supercritical propane, a parent EVAc sample (M_n = 70 kDa, M_w/M_n = 2.4) was separated into narrow fractions with a range of molecular weights (8.7 < M_n < 165 kDa, 1.4 < M_w/M_n < 1.7). Solid particles of Ab were dispersed in matrices composed of different polymer fractions and the rate of Ab release into buffered saline was measured. The rate of Ab release from the EVAc matrix depended on molecular weight: > 90% of the incorporated Ab was released from low molecular weight fractions (M_n < 40 kDa) during the first 5 days of release, while < 10% was released from the high molecular weight fraction (M_n > 160 kDa) during 14 days of release. No significant differences in polymer composition, glass-transition temperature, or crystallinity were identified in the different molecular weight fractions of EVAc. Mechanical properties of the polymer did depend on the molecular weight distribution, and correlated directly with Ab release rates. Because it permits rapid and reproducible fractionation of polymers, supercritical fluid extraction can be used to modify the performance of polymeric biomaterials. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Relationship between segment structures and elastic properties of segmented poly(urethane‐urea) elastic fibers

Studies on segmented poly(urethane‐urea) (SPUU) elastic fibers having various segment structures were done in terms of elastic recovery and stress‐strain relationship (S‐S). Three kinds of segment structures were used: 1) the same composition having different sequences of segment units, 2) the same length of soft segments having different molecular weights of polyol, and 3) different segment structures having almost the same stress at 350% elongation. The SPUU elastic fibers having higher sequence numbers of both soft and hard segment units, that is, greater block structures, show better elastic recovery properties, especially delayed elastic recovery. The SPUU elastic fibers showing better elastic recovery take an optimum value for the number‐average molecular weight (M_n) of soft segments jointed with urethane bonds. Here the optimum M_n depends on the molecular weight of polytetramethyleneglycol (PTMG) as a starting material. The hysteresis loss in S‐S for the pre‐elongation decreases with an increase of M_n of PTMG. The SPUU elastic fibers having greater block structures show lower stress with lower 2C₁ and 2C₁ + 2C₂ of Mooney‐Rivilin plot constants for elastic fibers having the same composition. This indicates a lower density of crosslinks for finite deformation. An increase of the urea bonds or the molar ratio of urea bond to urethane bond raises the stress. It is found that the polymerization process, as well as composition, is important for design structures of SPUU elastic fibers.     

The effect of initiator‐to‐monomer ratio on the properties of the polybutadiene‐ol synthesized by free radical solution polymerization of 1,3‐butadiene

Polybutadiene‐ol was synthesized by solution radical polymerization of 1,3‐butadiene in the presence of hydrogen peroxide as initiator and 2‐propanol as solvent. The ratio of initiator to monomer molar concentration, [I₀]/[M₀], was varied while temperature, reaction time and the type and amount of solvent were kept constant. The effects on the M_n; M_w; M_v; PDI, OH‐number and functionality of the synthesized polyols were studied. By taking several samples during a polymerization batch and analyzing them, the time of reaction was chosen as 100 min, after which the PDI changed dramatically. M_n decreased exponentially with increasing [I₀]/[M₀] according to the relationship M_n = 565.55 ([I₀]/[M₀])^?0.7553. The decrease observed in M_w gradually levelled off with increasing [I₀]/[M₀] and molecular weight distribution broadened at larger values of [I₀]/[M₀]. The OH‐number increases with [I₀]/[M₀]. In addition to the number‐average molecular weight, functionality is dependent on the number of hydroxyl‐terminated chain radicals in the reaction medium. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Resultant synergism in the shear resistance of acrylic pressure‐sensitive adhesives prepared by emulsion polymerization of n‐butyl acrylate/2‐ethyl hexyl acrylate/acrylic acid

Acrylic emulsion pressure‐sensitive adhesives (PSAs) were synthesized by the copolymerization of n‐butyl acrylate with various levels of 2‐ethyl hexyl acrylate (2EHA) and a small constant amount of acrylic acid. The effect of varying the n‐butyl acrylate/2EHA monomer composition on the kinetic behavior of the polymerization and the characteristics of the copolymers prepared in a batch process were investigated. The results showed that increasing the amount of 2EHA in the monomer caused the polymerization rate and the glass‐transition temperature of the acrylic copolymers to decrease. Increasing the amount of 2EHA caused the gel content of the copolymers to decrease, reaching a minimum at 50 wt %; thereafter, the gel content increased at higher 2EHA levels. For the acrylic emulsion, the peel‐fracture energy of the PSAs decreased as the amount of 2EHA in the monomer was increased up to 50 wt %. At higher 2EHA levels, the peel‐fracture energy was relatively constant. Interestingly, a synergistic effect of increased shear resistance at 25 wt % 2EHA was observed without a significant trade‐off in terms of the peel and tack properties. This behavior was attributed to a good interconnection between the microgels and the free polymer chains inside the contacting particles in the adhesive film. Cooperation between various levels of 2EHA in the copolymer structure simultaneously changed the crosslink molecular weight (M_c) of the microgels and the entanglement molecular weight (M_e) of the free chains in the adhesive network morphology. The adhesive performance of the PSAs was found to be correlated with their M_c/M_e values as the 2EHA proportion was varied. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Miniemulsion vs. conventional emulsion polymerization for pressure-sensitive adhesives production

A systematic study of the production of poly(2-ethyl hexyl acrylate/methyl methacrylate/acrylic acid) pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) via conventional emulsion and miniemulsion polymerization was carried out in order to discern and compare the influence of copolymer composition, chain transfer agent (CTA) and surfactant concentrations on the kinetics and microstructure of the resulting adhesive films. The results showed that miniemulsion polymerization proceeded solely under droplet nucleation for a certain set of initial reaction conditions. The miniemulsion-based latexes presented a polymer microstructure that was different to that found in latexes produced by conventional emulsion polymerization, as observed in the frequency master curves and PSA performance analysis. Batch miniemulsion polymerization was able to produce films with entanglement densities (M_w/M_e) from 2 up to 11, which were strongly correlated with loop tack, peel strength and shear strength. Conversely, under the same reaction conditions, batch conventional emulsion polymerization was only able to produce M_w/M_e ratios below 2.     

The effect of annealing at 135° on the mechanical properties of injection molded high density polyethylene-polypropylene blends

The effect of annealing at 135°C for 5 hours on the tensile properties of mechanically mixed and then injection molded high density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) blends has been investigated. Both the tangent elastic modulus and the tensile strength at yield exhibit a non-linear behavior versus blend composition with a minimum of properties typical for incompatible blends. Annealing substantially improves mechanical properties of pure components and blends (20 percent increase in the yield strength of pure components and blends and the modulus of pure components, and ～40 percent increase in the modulus of 50/50 blends) but the property behavior versus composition is still nonlinear. Scanning electron microscopy studies of fracture surfaces of blends seems to indicate some improvement in bonding between phases as a result of annealing, Both the elastic modulus and yield strength fit extremely well to the modified “rule of mixtures” equation in the general form: M_b = M_PEφ_PE + M_PPφ_PP + ΔM_PE/PPφ_PEφ_PP where M_b is the blend property, M_PE and M_PP are properties of pure PE and PP components, φ_PE and φ_PP are weight fractions of PE and PP, and ΔM_PE/PP is the interaction term being a measure of the deviation from simple additivity.