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Anthracite Products
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In the “world of coal” anthracite is known as "hard coal" and ranked highest in carbon and energy content, containing the lowest moisture and volatile matter content of all coals. Approximately 1% of the world’s coal reserves are of the anthracite grade. The unique properties of anthracite make it suitable for use across a broad range of premium metallurgical, thermal, water purification and composite materials applications. The value of anthracite is decided by its makeup. For example the worst quality anthracites can be used as high energy steaming coals and priced similar to streaming coals, whereas the best quality anthracites can be used as coke substitutes and water filter media and are priced accordingly. Kaftar Hona anthracite is of a very high quality, only equalled by a few mines throughout the world and therefore demands an attractive premium. Below are descriptions of products that SGC aims to produce in 2009 and 2010 and the processing steps necessary to create the end product.
SGC is not suggesting it can immediately produce all the products as described – only as and when markets are identified and potential orders established.
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- Run of Mine Anthracite
Anthracite mined and sold without any processing being undertaken is called Run of Mine (ROM) Anthracite. In Tajikistan ROM is generally sold for home heating or for the heating of government properties such as schools, hospitals and civil service buildings. The use of ROM can vary from country to country.
- Briquettes
Briquettes are made from anthracite fines (fine particles) that are mixed with a binder and compressed into shape. Similar to ROM anthracite, briquettes are normally sold for home heating and state property heating. Briquetting is an excellent way of turning low value anthracite fines into a valuable product that is easily packaged and transported for sale to the end user.
- Sized Anthracite
Sized Anthracite is primarily used in the steel industry as a part or complete coke replacement. It can also be used in any other industry where coke is required. The production of Sized Anthracite is undertaken by washing ROM anthracite to remove impurities followed by screening which results in a product between the sizes of 10mm-120mm. It is vital that high value Sized Anthracite contains low ash, sulphur, phosphor and volatile matter. Kaftar Hona anthracite contains low percentages of all these properties to create the perfect sized anthracite.
- PCI (Pulverized Coal Injection)
PCI is one of the newer applications for washed anthracite fines. Powdered anthracite (PCI) is injected into a steel blast furnace to reduce the total coke consumption by 20% - 30%.
- Gas Calcined Anthracite
Gas Calcined anthracite is produced by heating anthracite to 1500º C in the absence of air. This removes the volatile matter and moisture from the coal leaving behind a product that is a purer form of carbon with fixed carbon levels ranging from 80%-97%. Calcined Anthracite made from Kaftar Hona anthracite will have fixed carbon levels of between 94%-97% making it an ultra high quality high value calcined anthracite. Calcined anthracite is used as a carburizer for the production of carbon steel.
- Other Products
Other products can be produced from anthracite using various treatment processes. It is very unlikely that SGC will consider producing any of these products before 2011, but the Company will carry out research to assess the feasibility of producing one or more such products as from 2011.
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- Activated Carbon - A very high value product made by treating anthracite with steam or acid until it becomes ultra porous. Used for contaminate absorption.
- Ultra Pure Carbon - Refined anthracite made by removing the ash and volatile matter followed by a further process to increase the density. Used as a direct replacement for Petroleum Sponge Coke.
- Electrically Calcined Anthracite - Anthracite is calcined at 2500º in an electric arc furnace. Used as a main raw material for soderberg electrodes which are required in many metal processing factories.
- Water Filter Media
– Anthracite is washed and pelletized to form a media used throughout the world in water treatment plants.
- Synthetic Graphite – Anthracite can be heat treated to form synthetic Graphite used for the manufacture of certain types of electrodes.
- Fertilizer
- Anthracite or any coal can be gasified to form syngas (synthetic gas) which in turn is treated to form hydrogen and CO2. These gases are used to make urea fertilizer. There is a Urea factory in Tajikistan designed to run on natural gas but due to there being no gas available the factory is not operating. SGC is looking into the costs necessary to convert the plant to run on coal. 30% of all Urea plants in the world use coal as their raw material, and most operate specifically on anthracite coal.
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