Comparison of Coke Across Different Regions in China

Sources of Variation in Coke Quality: The type of raw coal used for coking, the age of the coal, the level of washing and beneficiation, the coal blending composition, and the coking furnace process. The core differences are concentrated in five key dimensions: ash content, sulfur content, cold and hot strength, alkali metals, and pore structure.

Key Coke Indicators:

Composition: Ash Content (Ad), Total Sulfur (St), Fixed Carbon (FC), Volatile Matter (Vd), Alkali Metals (K/Na), Phosphorus

Cold Strength: M40 (Resistance to Crushing; higher is better), M10 (Abrasion Resistance; lower is better)

Thermal Properties: CRI (Reactivity; lower is better), CSR (Post-Reaction Strength; higher is better)

I. Comparison of Characteristics of Coke from Major Domestic Production Regions

1. Shanxi Coke (Luliang / Jiexiu / Liulin, China’s top-tier metallurgical coke)

Raw Material Base

This region accounts for 60% of the nation’s high-quality coking coal and fat coal. The coal is of Carboniferous-Permian origin, with moderate metamorphism and extremely strong caking properties (G=85–95, Y=18–30).

Composition Characteristics

Ash Content: Grade 1 coke ≤12.5%, Near-Grade 1 12.5–13%; consistently low ash content

Sulfur Content: 0.6–0.8%; low-sulfur mines in Liulin can achieve 0.55–0.65%, the lowest in the industry

Fixed Carbon: 86–88%; low impurity content

Extremely low alkali metal content; weak catalytic reaction

Quality Performance

Cold Strength: M40 ≥ 82–86, M10 ≤ 6.0–7.5; uniform particle size, few cracks, and minimal coke fines

Thermal Strength: CRI 22–26, CSR 63–68; best high-temperature structural stability nationwide

Advantages & Disadvantages & Applications

Advantages: High cold and thermal strength, low sulfur and ash content, and the most stable quality;

Disadvantages: Highest price;

Applications: Large blast furnaces of 1,000 m³ or more, high-end foundries, and stainless steel smelting.

2. Inner Mongolia Coke (Ordos, Wuhai)

Raw Material Profile

Primarily consists of lean coal and low-grade lean coal; high-grade coking coal and fat coal are scarce, requiring large-scale procurement of blended coal; raw coal deposits are shallow with abundant gangue, resulting in high washing and beneficiation costs.

Composition Characteristics

Ash content is generally high: 13.2–14.5%, reaching up to 15% in small and medium-sized coking plants

Sulfur content: 0.75–1.0%; raw coal from some mining areas has high sulfur content

Fixed carbon: 84–86%; alkali metals (potassium and sodium) in ash are higher than in Shanxi

Quality Properties

Cold strength: M40 76–81, M10 7.5–9.0; poor wear resistance; prone to breakage during transport

Thermal strength: CRI 27–32, CSR 56–62; prone to pulverization at high temperatures

Advantages, Disadvantages, & Applications

Advantages: Low mine-mouth costs and extremely large supply;

Disadvantages: High ash content, relatively weak thermal strength, and significant quality fluctuations;

Applications: Suitable for small- and medium-sized blast furnaces, chemical gasification, and fuel for on-site power plants; often blended with Shanxi coke.

3. Shandong Coke (Rizhao, Jining, Weifang, coastal production areas)

Raw Material Basis

Local coking coal is scarce; a blend of domestic coal and imported Australian or Mongolian coal is used. The blending is flexible but the sources are diverse.

Composition Characteristics

Moderate ash content: 12.8–13.8%; imported low-ash coal is used to offset the high ash content of local coal.

Significant variation in sulfur content: 0.65–0.95%; blends with pure Australian coal have low sulfur, while those with a higher proportion of Mongolian coal result in higher sulfur levels.

Moderate alkali metal content; volatile matter is slightly higher than that of Shanxi coke.

Quality Properties

Cold Strength: M40 78–83, M10 7.0–8.5, falling between Shanxi and Inner Mongolia levels

Thermal Strength: CSR 59–65; thermal strength improves as the proportion of imported coal increases

Advantages, Disadvantages, & Applications

Advantages: Convenient port logistics; flexible blending of imported coal to enhance quality;

Disadvantages: Reliance on externally sourced raw materials; inconsistent specifications due to diverse coal sources;

Suitable for: Steel mills along the East China coast, foundries, and the aluminum industry.

4. Shaanxi Coke (Yulin, Hancheng)

Raw Material Profile

Primarily Jurassic coal with relatively high volatile matter and moderate caking properties; reserves of primary coking coal are limited.

Composition Characteristics

Notably low sulfur content: St 0.55–0.7%; ash content 13–14%; slightly higher volatile matter.

Quality and Performance

Cold strength is acceptable, but thermal strength is average, with CSR typically ranging from 57 to 63; pore size is relatively large, and high-temperature reactivity is relatively high.

Applications

Used in small- and medium-sized blast furnaces in Northwest China, as well as in calcium carbide and fertilizer gas production; commonly used as a low-sulfur blending coke.

5. Xinjiang coke (Hami, Fukang) is produced from Jurassic low-metamorphic coal, characterized by high oxygen content, abundant aliphatic hydrocarbons, high volatile matter, and extremely low ash and sulfur content.

 Composition-wise, it ranks among the lowest sulfur levels in the entire production region: 

St < 0.6%, ash content 11.5–13%, and extremely low phosphorus; however, it has some drawbacks: the raw coal contains many oxygen-containing functional groups, resulting in coke with highly developed pores and a loose structure. 

Quality and performance: 

Cold strength is average, with M40 at 75–80; thermal strength is relatively weak, with a high CRI and CSR of 55–61; 

applications include small blast furnaces in Northwest China, ferroalloy production, and chemical gasification, with a primary focus on its low-sulfur advantage. 6. Hebei (Handan, Tangshan), located near Shanxi, procures large quantities of Shanxi semi-bituminous coal for blending; 

finished product specifications are close to those of Shanxi, but coking furnace scales are relatively small and blending costs are higher; ash content 12.8–13.3, sulfur 0.68–0.82, CSR 60–66, falling between Shanxi and Shandong.