J Mater Cycles Waste Manag (2003) 5:98101
DOI 10.1007/s10163-003-0089-3
SPECIAL FEATURE: ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Kenji Kato Seiji Nomura Hiroshi Uematsu
Waste plastics recycling process using coke ovens
Received: November 29, 2002 / Accepted: March 7, 2003
Abstract The Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF), as
its voluntary energy-saving action plan, proposed a 10%
energy reduction by 2010 with 1990 as the basis. Further,
it has suggested an additional 1.5% energy saving by the
use of waste plastics as a metallurgical raw material. The
amount of processing of waste plastics which corresponds
to this amount of energy conversion is about 1 million t
scale during 1 year. Conventional known methods for
recycle-processing of waste plastics include, for example, the
method of injection into a blast furnace to use waste plas-
tics as an iron-ore reducing agent instead of coal. On the
other hand, the coking process is considered to be suitable
as a waste plastic recycling facility because the process
involves coal carbonization in a high-temperature and
reducing atmosphere. Carbonization tests with mixed waste
plastics were conducted with laboratory equipment and in
actual coke ovens. As a result, it was confirmed that the
waste plastics recycling process using coke ovens is feasible.
Therefore, a waste plastics recycling process using coke
ovens was started as a chemical recycling technology at
Nippon Steel.
Key words Coal Coke Waste plastics Coke oven
Introduction
At the start of the twenty-first century, mankind is facing a
global environmental problem, and the industrial sector is
required to take initiatives in the establishment of a recy-
cling society for the efficient utilization of natural resources.
The Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF), as its voluntary
energy-saving action plan, proposed a 10% energy reduc-
K. Kato (*) S. Nomura
Environment and Process Technology Center, Nippon Steel
Corporation, 20-1 Shintomi, Futtsu, Chiba 293-8511, Japan
Tel.
81-439-80-3054; Fax
81-439-80-2742
e-mail: k-kato@re.nsc.co.jp
H. Uematsu
Technical Administration and Planning Division, Tokyo, Japan
Springer-Verlag 2003
Chemical Feedstock Recycling (3)
tion by 2010 compared with 1990 as the basis. Further, it has
suggested an additional 1.5% energy saving by the use of
waste plastics as a metallurgical raw material. The amount
of processing of waste plastics which corresponds to this
amount of energy conversion is about 1 million t scale
during 1 year.
Conventional known methods for recycle-processing of
waste plastics include, for example, the method of injection
into a blast furnace, which is one process in iron- and steel-
making, and utilizing waste plastics as an iron-ore reducing
agent instead of coal.1 On the other hand, the coking
process is considered to be suitable as a waste plastic recy-
cling facility because the process involves coal carboniza-
tion at a high temperature under a reducing atmosphere. So
carbonization tests of coal mixed with waste plastics were
conducted with laboratory equipment and in actual coke
ovens. The conversion rate of waste plastics after carboniz-
ing in the coke ovens and the effect of waste plastics addi-
tion on coke strength were evaluated. This article describes
the technology for waste plastics recycling into chemical
raw materials using coke ovens.
Outline of the coke-making process
Figure 1 shows an outline of the coke-making process. In
coke ovens, the coal charged into the coke oven chambers
is carbonized at a high temperature of about 1100C in a
reducing atmosphere, and is converted to products of coke,
tar, light oil, and coke oven gas (COG), etc.Ammonia liquor
is used for flushing the ascension pipe exit at the top of the
coke oven, and the high-temperature COG generated in the
coke oven is cooled quickly to about 80C or less. In addi-
tion, the COG is cooled in a primary gas cooler to about
35C, the condensed liquid is separated into tar and
ammonia liquor in a tar decanter, and the tar is collected.
It is thought that the carbonization conditions in a coke
oven are suitable for the waste plastic recycling process
because charged plastics decompose easily at a high tem-
perature in a reducing atmosphere.
 99

Coke oven
Coke oven BF
Ascension pipe
Power generator,
Chemical plant
Charging car
Charging car Gas cooler
Coke
COKE
COG
COG
COG
Carbonization
Coke
Coke Light oil
Light oil
room
Tar Tar &
decanter light oil
Tar
Tar

Chemical
Fig. 1. Flow of the coke-making process. COG, coke oven
raw material
gas
Fig. 3. Conversion rate of waste plastics to each product.
BF, blast furnace
100
Goonyella coal
PS Table 1. Ultimate analysis and ash content of waste plastics
80
PVC Ultimate analysis (mass %, dry) Ash (mass %)
Weight (%)

60 PE C H N S
PP PET
40 PVC PP PE 72.6 9.2 0.3 0.04 5.0
PS
PET
20 Goonyella
Table 2. Components of waste plastics
0
Component (mass %)
200 300 400 500
Temperature (C) PE PS PP PVC PVDC PET Others

Fig. 2. Thermal decomposition curve of various plastics and 21.4 24.8 13.7 5.2 0.4 15.5 19.0
coal. PE, polyethylene; PP, polypropylene; PVC, polyvinyl PE, polyethylene; PS, polystyrene; PP, polypropylene; PVC, polyvinyl
chloride; PS, polystyrene; PET, polyethylene terephthalate chloride; PVDC polyvinylidene chloride; PET, polyethylene
terephthalate

The resulting coke can be used as an iron-ore-reducing

Examination of the waste plastics recycling process agent in blast furnaces, tar and light oil as raw materials for
using coke ovens plastics, etc., and hydrogen-rich COG as a clean energy for
power generation, etc.
Thermal decomposition curve of various plastics and coal

The characteristics of various plastics were examined to
evaluate the waste plastics recycling process using coke
ovens. The weight loss of various kinds of plastic and coal
was examined with a thermobalance in a nitrogen atmos-
phere. It was found that the weight loss of each plastic
begins at a lower temperature than that of coal (Fig. 2). The
data of Goonyella coal is plotted as an example. Plastics are
decomposed into gas at about 200450C, and the car-
bonized residue remains at about 500C or higher.2
Evaluation of the product yield of waste plastics
carbonized in a coke oven
We conducted a processing test of nonindustrial waste plas-
tics from containers and packages using commercial coke
ovens. The analysis results are shown in Tables 1 and 2. The
yields from the carbonization of nonindustrial waste plas-
tics were 20% coke, 40% tar and light oil, and 40% gases,
approximately (Fig. 3).
Influence of plastic addition on coke quality
In commercial coke ovens, waste plastics were added to coal
blends and the strength of the resulting coke was examined.
The coke strength was evaluated by drum index (DI) and
coke strength after reaction (CSR), where
150
DI15 is the coke strength was evaluated by DI deter-
mined in conformity with JIS K 2151 (
15 mm after 150
revolutions).
CSR is the coke strength after the gas reaction accord-
ing to the CSR index.
The results show that when waste plastics equivalent
150
to 1 mass% of coal are added to coal, DI15 and CSR
are much the same as when no waste plastics are added
(Figs. 4, 5).3,4
On the other hand, it is considered that a larger propor-
tion of waste plastics (e.g., more than 2 mass%) might result
150
in a deterioration of coke strength (DI15 and CSR). Further
work is needed on the upper limit of waste plastics addition
to coal without decreasing the coke strength.
 100

DI 150/15 (-) 88 62

86

CSR (%)
60
84

82 58

80
Without waste Waste plastics 56
plastics added (1%) Without waste Waste plastics
Fig. 4. Influence of the addition of waste plastics on drum
plastics added (1%)
150
index (DI15 , see text)
Fig. 5. Influence of the addition of waste plastics on coke
strength after reaction (CSR)

Fig. 6. Waste plastics

recycling process using coke
ovens. BF, blast furnace;
CB, cabon black; PC, pitch
coke

Waste plastics recycling process using coke ovens
The waste plastics in municipal waste are collected as bags,
films, foamed plastics, and powders. Therefore, it is neces-
sary to pretreat the waste plastics collected and change its
shape and size so that it is suitable for charging into coke-
oven chambers. First, metals are removed from the waste
plastics by magnetic sorting. Then the plastics are coarsely
crushed and extraneous material is removed using a sepa-
rator.After being finely crushed to about 10 mm, the volume
is reduced using an agglomerator (screw kneader) at 120C.
The blocks are cut to a diameter of about 25 mm, air-cooled
on a conveyor belt, mixed with coal, and then charged into
the coke-oven chambers. Figure 6 shows the flow of the
waste plastic recycling process using coke ovens. After the
waste plastics have been pretreated, they are mixed with
coal blends, charged into coke ovens, and carbonized. Waste
plastics are carbonized at a high temperature, and then
decomposed into coke, tar, light oil, and gas. These materi-
als are used as chemical raw materials. Coke is used to
reduce the iron ore in a blast furnace, the tar and light oil
are used as raw materials to make plastics, etc., and COG is
used for power plants, etc., as a clean energy source. Waste
plastics recycling in coke ovens to obtain chemical raw

materials has been approved by the authorities as a chem-
ical recycling technology in accordance with the containers
and packaging recycling law.
About 1% of waste plastics is added to the coal charge
in the Japanese steel industry, so the waste plastics con-
sumed could add up to approximately 500 000 tons per year,
which is half of the additional 1.5% energy saving in the
JISF voluntary energy-saving action plan.
Waste-plastic recycling processes using coke ovens were
started at Nippon Steels Nagoya and Kimitsu works in
2000. The treatment capacity is 40 000 tons/year each.5
Waste-plastic recycling processes using coke ovens were
started at Nippon Steels Yawata and Muroran works in
2002. The treatment capacity there is 20 000 tons/year each.
Waste plastics pretreatment plants with a total capacity of
120 000 tons/year and the coke-making plant have all been
operating very smoothly.
Conclusions
1. It was found that the carbonization yields of coke, tar and
light oil, and gas from waste plastics were about 20%,
40%, and 40%, respectively.
101
2. It was confirmed that waste-plastics recycling processes
using coke ovens are feasible, because the coke, tar and
light oil, and gas were collected without affecting the
coke strength.
3. Waste-plastics recycling equipment with a total capacity
of 120 000 tons/year and coke-making processes have
been operating very smoothly at Nippon Steels Nagoya,
Kimitsu, Yawata, and Muroran works.
4. Further studies will focus on identifying any problems in
the long-term stable operation of the facilities as an
established social infrastructure, and solutions for any
problems found.
References
1. Asanuma M, Ariyama T, Yamada Y, Fujii M, Okochi I, Sumigama T,
Tokuda M (1988) Recycling of Plastic Waste in Blast Furnace. J Jpn
Inst Energy 77:423431
2. Kato K, Komaki I, Uematsu H, Nomura S, Kondo H, Shiraishi K
(2000) The study of the waste plastics recycling process using the
coke oven. Proceedings of the 10th Symposium on Environment
Engineering, JSME, Kawasaki, p 154
3. Kato K, Komaki I, Uematsu H (2001) The effective use of waste
plastics to coke oven. Met Technol 71:331335
4. Kato K, Nomura S, Uematsu H (2000) Development of waste
plastics recycling process using coke ovens. ISIJ Int Suppl 42:S10
S13
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