Our industry
Coal chemicals were discovered early in the steel-making process as by-products derived from coal-to-coke conversion.
Over time, these chemicals became extremely valuable in various applications in both gaseous and liquid forms.
History
Discovery of coal tar
Discovery of creosote, coal chemicals industry starts expanding.
Start of Aluminium production with the Hall-Heroult process using coal tar pitch.
Discovery of bakelite, for the next 50 years coal chemicals industry becomes dominant.
Strong increase of chemicals demand, coal chemicals industry starts to specialize.
Coal chemicals industry is now a highly specialized industry, focussing on vital applications.
PROCESS
As coal is converted to coke in the first stage of steel production, the volatile elements derived from this process are recovered to serve as energy sources or chemical raw materials for further use. These include ammonium sulphate, sulphur, coke gas, crude benzene and coal tar.
Crude benzene and coal tar are valuable raw materials for chemistry. In coal chemical plants (coal tar refinery and benzene plant), various physical and chemical processes are used to convert and extract new useful chemicals.
Downstream, other industries rely on these coal chemicals to produce e.g., aluminium, carbon black, resins & electrodes.
