Coal briquettes: technology of briquetting by industrial and home method

Coal briquettes are becoming more well-known as a viable substitute for conventional heating techniques as homeowners search for more economical and environmentally responsible ways to heat their homes. In comparison to raw coal, these briquettes, which are formed by compacting coal dust and additional materials into a solid block, have a longer and more reliable burn time. This makes them a potentially more sustainable option in the world of solid fuels, in addition to being a dependable source of heat.

Coal briquettes can be made in an industrial setting or at home using do-it-yourself techniques. Every strategy has its own benefits and meets various needs. Industrial briquetting is appropriate for large-scale production because it uses sophisticated machinery to guarantee efficiency and uniformity. However, home briquetting offers a more convenient solution for individuals and small communities, enabling them to turn waste materials, such as coal dust, into usable heat sources.

This article will examine both briquetting techniques, going over the technology underlying the industrial process as well as the easier, more accessible home versions. Readers can more effectively determine which approach might best meet their heating needs and environmental goals by being aware of the technical details and practical steps involved in each method. Coal briquettes offer an intriguing solution to take into consideration, whether the goal is to minimize waste or optimize fuel for heating.

What are coal briquettes?

Wood used to be thought of as the most common material for building heating. Now that the industry has advanced, charcoal fuel briquettes have been replaced with regular logs. To put it plainly, coal dust and fine fraction make up about 25% of the coal that is mined. They are inefficient because they spill over the furnace grate, have poor heat transfer, and are not appropriate for full-fledged heating. The issue with using inferior coal is that the fine coal restricts oxygen flow, which leads to the furnace blowing out.

Briquettes of coal are solid fuel products that are formed into different-sized and shaped bars by pressing them together at high temperatures and pressures. For binding, a variety of organic and inorganic raw materials are used.

Briquetted charcoal is primarily used for home heating, though it is also preferred by certain chemical and metallurgical businesses. Briquettes can only be used provided specific solid fuel equipment is present.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of coal briquettes?

The claim that briquetted coal is the only suitable option for home heating is untrue. However, when briquetted coal is contrasted with other fuel types, several benefits emerge that elevate this fuel to the top. Among them are:

• they burn for a long time and emit a lot of heat;
• The same size briquettes release heat evenly;
• briquettes are light and compact, which simplifies their transportation and storage;
• quality product does not emit carbon monoxide, so it can be used in residential areas with good ventilation;
• if produced correctly, coal briquettes do not crumble and do not pollute the room;
• can be ignited in 10-15 minutes.

We must discuss compressed coal fuel’s drawbacks in addition to its benefits. Grills, barbecues, and grills cannot use binder-glued briquettes. The equipment may malfunction if the heat produced by the charcoal surpasses the necessary temperature. Furthermore, certain briquettes release harmful carcinogens that contaminate cooked food and render it unfit for consumption. It is essential to adhere to safety regulations for coal preparation and briquetting in order to use coal for home stove heating. Eco-friendly briquetted charcoal for grills is available for purchase.

Coal briquettes, which are made by compressing coal dust and additional binding materials into a solid, compact form, are an effective and sustainable fuel substitute for heating homes. This briquetting process can be done at home using easier, manual methods for smaller-scale production, or it can be done industrially where high-pressure machinery produces uniform briquettes on a large scale. By converting waste materials into a cleaner-burning and more sustainable form of coal, both methods seek to lessen their negative effects on the environment and possibly cut heating costs. Coal briquettes are a workable way to improve energy efficiency and insulation, whether for industrial or residential heating applications.

Types of coal briquettes

The kind of coal briquettes used in the room has a significant impact on how well it heats. Depending on the manufacturing material, shape, type of binding material, and packaging container, all products are categorized into subspecies.

The kind of raw material utilized in the briquette-making process:

• anthracite is the most qualitative and expensive coal that meets high requirements in terms of heating;
• Charcoal – made from recycled wood. It is slightly inferior to anthracite in quality;
• Lignite is the cheapest of all the coal offered. It involves small fragments and dust of coal in its manufacture. Heat transfer is lower than the first two types.

The binder is chosen based on quality of use and safety:

• coal tar;
• clay;
• soda;
• molasses;
• Protein;
• lime;
• dextrin;
• liquid glass;
• cement, etc.

Selecting briquettes for domestic use requires consideration of natural binders like molasses or protein. Cement or resin fuel is appropriate for industry use, and production facilities frequently have unique fume trapping systems in place to capture hazardous gases.

The coal-pressing technique determines the products’ shape. Bricks, "pads," "tablets," and cylinders with holes are all produced by the stamp press. The "sausages" made by the extrusion machine have holes that are calibrated.

Features of coal briquetting technology

Briquettes made from leftover coal have been produced since the 1800s. During the manufacturing process, dust and coal particles were bonded together with resin and compacted using a mechanical press. The drawback of these briquettes was thought to be the release of toxic resinous compounds during combustion; however, during the manufacturing process, the safety regulations pertaining to coal preparation and briquetting were not given much thought.

Consumer demand for briquettes has increased despite briquette production not reaching scale despite the use of improved technologies. Briquettes with ingredients safe for human health or without binders are available for home use. Consequently, it is imperative that you read the manufacturer’s information before making a purchase, paying particular attention to the section that discusses the product’s composition.

There are multiple production steps involved in coal briquetting:

• drying to remove moisture from the raw material;
• Processing of the raw material, its crushing into equal particles;
• Addition of binder components;
• Heating coal to a certain temperature;
• pressing;
• drying to bring the moisture content to between 18-20%;
• cooling.

Briquettes can be made from coal waste in modern production without the need for binders. For coal briquetting, specialized equipment is needed. The raw material only goes through two stages in it:

• Compaction of the raw material to remove voids between the particles;
• compression and compaction of the particles themselves under increased pressure up to 100-200Mn/m 2 .

The binding component will be the resins that are released during the process. This process produces briquettes that burn cleanly and release no toxic fumes into the atmosphere.

Industrial methods of coal briquetting

Let’s look at the technology used in factories to produce coal briquettes using coal tar and coal dust. Because it is the least expensive raw material, it is possible to organize the production of high-quality briquettes with good heat output at a low cost. The crusher, press, and dryer are some of the installations that are used to organize the process. A belt conveyor is used to transfer the material from one step to the next.

1. First, the coal is washed of debris to obtain a clean product without unnecessary impurities.
2. Next, the cleaned raw material is crushed to particles with a size of 6 mm or less.
3. In a steam or gas dryer coal is dried to a moisture content of 15 %.
4. The composition is cooled and passes to the stage of pressing under pressure of 20-150 MPa.
5. The finished product is transported to a warehouse for storage.

Technology used to produce briquettes for industrial use permits the addition of binders like liquid glass, cement, and oil-bitumen mixtures, among others. Technology used in the manufacturing of briquettes for industrial use permits the addition of binders like liquid glass, cement, and oil-bitumen mixture, among others. However, in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the Sanitary and Epidemiological Service, it is not permitted to purchase coal briquettes of this composition for the purpose of heating residential buildings.

Briquetting coal at home

Previously, all you needed was time and your own hands to turn coal into briquettes. Coal waste was moistened with water for this purpose, resulting in a thick mass. After that, it is hand-molded into tortillas and allowed to air dry. Stoves and fireplaces were successfully heated with this type of homemade fuel.

Since not everyone can afford to start a home coal enrichment and briquetting business, folk artisans created a contemporary method of obtaining solid fuel from coal waste. A hand press or a homemade screw extruder are the two types of installations used for this purpose. A hand press has the benefit of being something you can make yourself or affordably purchase from a craftsman. Low productivity is a minus. You have to put in a lot of work in the summer to have enough briquettes for the entire winter.

Fuel can be readily stocked up with an extruder, and the entire production process is automated. However, producing or buying ready-made equipment for briquetting charcoal will cost money, so you’ll need to determine whether or not making such an acquisition makes sense. Briquetting coal at home involves the following steps:

• pulverization of coal by any available method. The finer the fraction, the better;
• The obtained raw materials are mixed with water to such a consistency that the mass is well molded;
• Prepared molds are filled with coal mixture and pressed with a hand press;
• The finished briquettes are extracted and dried naturally.

Briquetted coal for heating a home boiler or stove is the end product. The briquette cannot be transported because it will return to dust due to the absence of binding agent.

Charcoal briquetting can be produced much more quickly and easily with an extruder. The method works on a similar principle to a meat grinder. Fine sausages are produced when the prepared coal mass is poured into a designated receiving compartment. They can be divided into briquettes of any size before they solidify. Because of their robustness, the products can be transported without worrying about breaking.

Handmade briquettes are unquestionably of lower quality when compared to production briquettes. However, producing such fuel is far less expensive than purchasing completed goods, and it burns fairly well.

For individuals who want to heat their homes effectively while taking the environment into consideration, coal briquettes offer a feasible option. Coal dust and particles are compressed into a form that is easier to store and burn through the process of briquetting, which is used both commercially and domestically. This increases combustion efficiency and decreases waste from coal fines that might otherwise go underutilized. The ease of use of inexpensive presses to make briquettes at home democratizes the process of producing fuel customized to meet specific needs.

Because of their density and uniformity, coal briquettes burn cleaner than raw coal from an environmental perspective. This is because they promote more complete combustion and lower particulate emissions. But it’s important to recognize that they continue to produce CO2 and other pollutants. We must carefully manage the balance between realistic energy needs and environmental sustainability as we continue to investigate heating solutions. Briquettes provide an enhanced fuel option for people living in areas that primarily rely on coal, which could act as a stopgap measure while we look for more environmentally friendly options.

In the end, coal briquetting, whether done in an industrial setting or a more localized, residential one, provides a number of advantages that are consistent with the objectives of efficient home insulation and heating. It offers a more reliable, controlled, and environmentally beneficial method of using coal than the conventional method. Coal briquettes are a key component of the continuous evolution of home heating techniques and materials as a result of technological advancements and increased public awareness of environmental issues.

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