In this paper, issues related to the technology of compound castings composed of two parts, i.e., the working layer and the supporting part, made of X46Cr13 high-chromium steel and EN-GJL-HB 255 grey cast iron, respectively, in a liquid-solid system by pre-installing a monolithic insert in the mould cavity are presented. As a part of the research, the mechanism of formation of transitional zones in the bonding area of the above-mentioned two alloys was identified and described. It was shown that the phenomenon that determines the formation of a permanent bond between the joined materials is the transport of C and heat from the \"high-carbon and hot\" material of the supporting part poured into the mould in the form of liquid cast iron to the \"low-carbon and cold\" material of the working layer placed in the form of a steel monolithic insert inside the mould cavity. In the paper, the suitability of the compound castings technology developed for use in the coke industry is also presented. Full-size high-chromium steel-grey cast iron compound casting plates designed for the coke quenching car lining were positively verified in real coke plant operating conditions.

Quinoline inevitably remains in the effluent of coking wastewater treatment plants due to its bio-refractory nature, which might cause unfavorable effects on human and ecological environments. In this study, MnCexOy was consciously synthesized by α-MnO2 doped with Ce3+ (Ce:Mn = 1:10) and employed as the ozonation catalyst for quinoline degradation. After that, the removal efficiency and mechanism of quinoline were systematically analyzed by characterizing the physicochemical properties of MnCexOy, investigating free radicals and monitoring the solution pH. Results indicated that the removal rate of quinoline was greatly improved by the prepared MnCexOy catalyst. Specifically, the removal efficiencies of quinoline could be 93.73, 62.57 and 43.76%, corresponding to MnCexOy, α-MnO2 and single ozonation systems, respectively. The radical scavenging tests demonstrated that •OH and •O2- were the dominant reactive oxygen species in the MnCexOy ozonation system. Meanwhile, the contribution levels of •OH and •O2- to quinoline degradation were about 42 and 35%, respectively. The abundant surface hydroxyl groups and oxygen vacancies of the MnCexOy catalyst were two important factors for decomposing molecular O3 into more •OH and •O2-. This study could provide scientific support for the application of the MnCexOy/O3 system in degrading quinoline in bio-treated coking wastewater.

Lithium batteries incorporating LiFePO4 (LFP) as the cathode material have gained significant attention in recent research. However, the limited electronic and ionic conductivity of LFP poses challenges to its cycling performance and overall efficiency. In this study, we address these issues by synthesizing a series of LiFePO4/carbon (LFP/C) composites through low-temperature carbonization coating of LFP in the presence of Coke as the carbon source. The resulting lithium batteries utilizing LFP/C as the cathode material exhibited impressive discharge specific capacities of 148.35 mA·h/g and 126.74 mA·h/g at 0.1 C and 1 C rates, respectively. Even after 200 cycles of charging and discharging, the capacities remained remarkably high, with values of 93.74% and 97.05% retention, showcasing excellent cycling stability. Notably, the LFP/C composite displayed exceptional rate capability, and capacity retention of 99.27% after cycling at different multiplication rates. These findings underscore the efficacy of in situ low-temperature carbonization capping of LFP with Coke in significantly improving both the cycling stability and rate capability of lithium batteries.

Coking wastewater is a typical high-strength organic wastewater, for which it is difficult to meet discharging standards with a single biological treatment. In this study, effective advanced treatment of coking wastewater was achieved by coagulation with freshly prepared polyaluminum silicate sulfate (PASS). The performance advantage was determined through comparison with commercial coagulants including ferric chloride, polyferric sulfate, aluminum sulfate and polyaluminum chloride. Both single-factor and Taguchi experiments were conducted to determine the optimal conditions for coagulation with CODCr and UV254 as indicators. A dosage of 7 mmol/L PASS, flocculation velocity of 75 r/min, flocculation time of 30 min, pH of 7, and temperature of 20 °C could decrease the CODCr concentration from 196.67 mg/L to 59.94 mg/L. Enhanced coagulation could further help to remove the organic compounds, including pre-oxidation with ozonation, adsorption with activated carbon, assistant coagulation with polyacrylamide and secondary coagulation. UV spectrum scanning and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed that the coagulation process effectively removed the majority of organic compounds, especially the high molecular weight alkanes and heterocyclic compounds. Coagulation with PASS provides an effective alternative for the advanced treatment of coking wastewater.

Coking wastewater is a typical organic refractory wastewater characterized by high chemical oxygen demand (COD), NH4+-N, and total organic carbon (TOC). Herein, coking wastewater was treated using a heterogeneous electro-Fenton (EF) system comprising a novel iron-loaded needle coke composite cathode (Fe-NCCC) and a dimensionally stable anode. The response surface methodology was used to optimize the reaction conditions. The predicted and actual COD removal rates were 92.13 and 89.96% under optimum conditions of an applied voltage of 4.92 V, an electrode spacing of 2.29 cm, and an initial pH of 3.01. The optimized removal rate of NH4+-N and TOC was 84.12 and 73.44%, respectively. The color of coking wastewater decreased from 250-fold to colorless, and the BOD5/COD increased from 0.126 to 0.34. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy show that macromolecular heterocyclic organic compounds decomposed into straight-chain small molecules and even completely mineralized. The energy consumption of the EF process was 23.5 RMB Yuan per cubic meter of coking wastewater. The EF system comprising the Fe-NCCC can effectively remove pollutants from coking wastewater, has low electricity consumption, and can simultaneously reduce various pollution indicators with potential applications in the treatment of high-concentration and difficult-to-degrade organic wastewater.

Elastomeric materials are utilized for the short-term protection of products and structures operating under extreme conditions in the aerospace, marine, and oil and gas industries. This research aims to study the influence of functionally active structures on the physical, mechanical, thermophysical, and fire- and heat-protective characteristics of elastomer compositions. The physical and mechanical properties of elastomer samples were determined using Shimazu AG-Xplus, while morphological research into microheterogeneous systems and coke structures was carried out on a scanning electronic microscope, Versa 3D. Differential thermal and thermogravimetric analyses of the samples were conducted on derivatograph Q-1500D. The presence of aluminosilicate microspheres, carbon microfibers, and a phosphor-nitrogen-organic modifier as part of the aforementioned structures contributes to the appearance of a synergetic effect, which results in an increase in the heat-protective properties of a material due to the enhancement in coke strength and intensification of material carbonization processes. The results indicate an 8-17% increase in the heating time of the unheated surface of a sample and a decrease in its linear burning speed by 6-17% compared to known analogues. In conclusion, microspheres compensate for the negative impact of microfibers on the density and thermal conductivity of a composition.

To enhance the extraction of methane gas from coal beds, hydraulic fracturing technology is used. However, stimulation operations in soft rocks, such as coal beds, are associated with technical problems related mainly to the embedment phenomenon. Therefore, the concept of a novel coke-based proppant was introduced. The purpose of the study was to identify the source coke material for further processing to obtain a proppant. Twenty coke materials differing in type, grain size, and production method from five coking plants were tested. The values of the following parameters were determined for the initial coke: micum index 40; micum index 10; coke reactivity index; coke strength after reaction; and ash content. The coke was modified by crushing and mechanical classification, and the 3-1 mm class was obtained. This was enriched in heavy liquid with a density of 1.35 g/cm3. The crush resistance index and Roga index, which were selected as key strength parameters, and the ash content were determined for the lighter fraction. The most promising modified coke materials with the best strength properties were obtained from the coarse-grained (fraction 25-80 mm and greater) blast furnace and foundry coke. They had crush resistance index and Roga index values of at least 44% and at least 96%, respectively, and contained less than 9% ash. After assessing the suitability of coke material for proppants in the hydraulic fracturing of coal, further research will be needed to develop a technology to produce proppants with parameters compliant with the PN-EN ISO 13503-2:2010 standard.

Coke-oven wastewater (CW), containing an array of toxic pollutants above permissible limits even after conventional primary and secondary treatment, needs a tertiary (polishing) step to meet the statutory limit. In the present study, a suitable bacterial-microalgal consortium (Culture C) was constructed using bacterial (Culture B: Bacillus sp. NITD 19) and microalgal (Culture A: a consortium of Chlorella sp. and Synechococcus sp.) cultures at different ratios (v/v) and the potential of these cultures for tertiary treatment of CW was assessed. Culture C4 (Culture B:Culture A = 1:4) with inoculum size: 10% (v/v) was selected for the treatment of wastewater since the maximum growth (3.08 ± 0.57 g/L) and maximum chlorophyll content (4.05 ± 0.66 mg/L) were achieved for such culture in PLE-enriched BG-11 medium. During treatment of real secondary treated coke-oven effluent using Culture C4 in a closed photobioreactor, the removal of phenol (80.32 ± 2.76%), ammonium ions (47.85 ± 1.83%), fluoride (65.0 ± 4.12%), and nitrate (39.45 ± 3.42%) was observed after 24 h. In a packed bed bioreactor containing immobilized C4 culture, the maximum removal was obtained at the lowest flow rate (20 mL/h) and highest column bed height (20 cm). Artificial intelligence-based techniques were used for modeling and optimization of the process.

Heavy metal pollution in the soil surrounding solid wastes from coking plants poses potential threats to human health and has attracted widespread attention. This study is the first to assess the spatial variability and risks of heavy metals in the soil surrounding solid waste from coking plants. The results showed that the concentrations of Cu, Ni, Pb, and Cd in the soil were much higher than the background value of the soil. Solid waste had a clear influence on the contents of Ni, Cd, Mn, Pb, and Cr in the soil. The ecological risk assessment of heavy metal pollution demonstrated that the pollution degree of Cu, Pb, and Cd was more serious than others, and the ecological risk of heavy metals was mainly caused by Cd in the soil. The human health risk assessment showed that adults and children near coking plants might face carcinogenic risk from exposure to Cr. This study can provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and management of soil heavy metal pollution surrounding solid waste in coking plants.