A METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING INTERACTIONS BETWEEN COALS IN BLENDS

The prediction of properties of coking blends from the properties of t he component materials is complicated by interactions that may occur b etween the components being blended. A method is presented by which su ch interactions can be identified and accounted for in blends. This me thod assumes that the magnitude of the effect of an interaction betwee n two coals in a blend of many coals is proportional to the product of the proportion of the two coals in the blend. Consequences of this as sumption for predicting blend behaviour are explored. For example, thi s method predicts that, for a binary blend, for properties that measur e the extent to which coals fuse during their pyrolysis, the temperatu re at which the magnitude of the effect of the interaction is greatest is independent of the proportions of the coals in the blend. If this method is successful, it may simplify blend design. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.