Abstract
A normal annual supply of by-product gases, having a heat content equivalent to about 32,000,000 tons of coal, results from the production of metallurgical coke and from the smelting of pig iron. This paper deals comprehensively with the uses within the steel industry of coke-oven gas, blast-furnace gas, and mixtures of the two gases, which constitute the by-product fuels. After outlining the characteristics and combustion properties of each, the authors give in some detail their applications to the various heating requirements of steel production. The process of mixing the two gases to obtain the maximum heat value is explained thoroughly. The fact is stressed that by-product fuels be utilized in processes where the greatest economic value will result. The method of arriving at the potential values of these gases in relation to that of tar, fuel oil, and coal is fully expounded, several examples of cost analyses being cited to illustrate the procedure.
