A NOVEL FOUNDRY FUEL SOURCE UTILIZING BIOMASS CO-PRODUCTS AS BINDERS AND FUEL

This fundamental research will create enhanced-value for biofuel co-products and residues. Our goal is to create a binder that holds together waste anthracite fines so as to replace coke in iron foundries. This will save money, energy, and greenhouse gas emissions while increasing the competitiveness of both foundries and biofuel production facilities. In coke production, bituminous coals are pyrolyzed at 900 degrees (C) for a day. This allows the coke to burn rapidly. However, coking consumes 25% of the raw coal's energy. In contrast, our co-product-bindered bricks can be made at near-ambient temperature and thus can diminish carbon dioxide release by 1-3 million tons / year. By bindering waste anthracite fines with a composite binder of biomass co-products, our preliminary results show that we can make a brick with the same toughness, thermal resiliency, high surface area, fast burning rate, and high energy content as coke. For the work herein, we will expand the fundamental thermo-chemistry of these hybrid binders, so as to enhance the co-products' value to foundries.