The processes disclosed herein are environmentally friendly technologies to produce biocarbon products with low water intensity as well as low carbon intensity. Some variations provide a low-water-intensity process for producing a biocarbon product, comprising: providing a starting feedstock comprising biomass and water; drying the starting feedstock to generate a dried feedstock and a first vapor; pyrolyzing the dried feedstock to generate hot solids and a second vapor; condensing the first vapor to generate a first condensed liquid having a first pH from about 1 to about 7; condensing the second vapor to generate a second condensed liquid having a second pH from about 1 to about 7; forming acid water comprising the first condensed liquid, the second condensed liquid, or a mixture thereof; washing and cooling the hot solids using the acid water, to generate washed, cooled solids; and recovering the washed, cooled solids as a low-water-intensity biocarbon product.

The processes disclosed herein are environmentally friendly technologies to produce biocarbon products with low water intensity as well as low carbon intensity. Some variations provide a low-water-intensity process for producing a biocarbon product, comprising: providing a starting feedstock comprising biomass and water; drying the starting feedstock to generate a dried feedstock and a first vapor; pyrolyzing the dried feedstock to generate hot solids and a second vapor; condensing the first vapor to generate a first condensed liquid having a first pH from about 1 to about 7; condensing the second vapor to generate a second condensed liquid having a second pH from about 1 to about 7; forming acid water comprising the first condensed liquid, the second condensed liquid, or a mixture thereof; washing and cooling the hot solids using the acid water, to generate washed, cooled solids; and recovering the washed, cooled solids as a low-water-intensity biocarbon product.

Some variations provide a process for producing biocarbon pellets, comprising: pyrolyzing a biomass-containing feedstock in a first pyrolysis reactor to generate a first biogenic reagent and a pyrolysis vapor; introducing the pyrolysis vapor to a separation unit, to generate a pyrolysis precipitate in liquid or solid form; contacting the first biogenic reagent with the pyrolysis precipitate, thereby generating an intermediate material; pelletizing the intermediate material, to generate intermediate pellets; optionally, drying the intermediate pellets; separately pyrolyzing the intermediate pellets in a second pyrolysis reactor to generate a second biogenic reagent and a pyrolysis off-gas; and recovering the second biogenic reagent as biocarbon pellets. Some variations provide a similar process that utilizes a carbon-containing condensed-matter material, which is not necessarily a pyrolysis precipitate. The disclosure provides improved processes for producing biocarbon compositions, especially with respect to carbon yield and biocarbon properties, such as reactivity.

Some variations provide a process for producing biocarbon pellets, comprising: pyrolyzing a biomass-containing feedstock in a first pyrolysis reactor to generate a first biogenic reagent and a pyrolysis vapor; introducing the pyrolysis vapor to a separation unit, to generate a pyrolysis precipitate in liquid or solid form; contacting the first biogenic reagent with the pyrolysis precipitate, thereby generating an intermediate material; pelletizing the intermediate material, to generate intermediate pellets; optionally, drying the intermediate pellets; separately pyrolyzing the intermediate pellets in a second pyrolysis reactor to generate a second biogenic reagent and a pyrolysis off-gas; and recovering the second biogenic reagent as biocarbon pellets. Some variations provide a similar process that utilizes a carbon-containing condensed-matter material, which is not necessarily a pyrolysis precipitate. The disclosure provides improved processes for producing biocarbon compositions, especially with respect to carbon yield and biocarbon properties, such as reactivity.

A charcoal replacement solid energy fuel comprises wood particles substantially fully impregnated with a melt-flowable, natural, monolignol biopolymer derived from biomass which can be further processed into various shapes of briquettes, pellets and other shapes for grilling, heating/cooking, green coal energy and other applications. The material and its method of making are environmentally friendly, carbon neutral, and lower cost alternative to charcoal or traditional coal. The melt-flowable monolignol based material impregnated into the wood imparts significant water resistance, UV resistance, antimicrobial functionality, faster lighting and higher BTU/lb energy without the need to add carbonize wood or coal. The impregnated wood granules or particles can then be compressed, without the need for additional binder, into various homogenous charcoal briquette replacements, pellets, or shapes for grilling or green coal energy fuel.

A charcoal replacement solid energy fuel comprises wood particles substantially fully impregnated with a melt-flowable, natural, monolignol biopolymer derived from biomass which can be further processed into various shapes of briquettes, pellets and other shapes for grilling, heating/cooking, green coal energy and other applications. The material and its method of making are environmentally friendly, carbon neutral, and lower cost alternative to charcoal or traditional coal. The melt-flowable monolignol based material impregnated into the wood imparts significant water resistance, UV resistance, antimicrobial functionality, faster lighting and higher BTU/lb energy without the need to add carbonize wood or coal. The impregnated wood granules or particles can then be compressed, without the need for additional binder, into various homogenous charcoal briquette replacements, pellets, or shapes for grilling or green coal energy fuel.

Coke products configured to be combusted in a cupola furnace are disclosed herein. The coke products can include foundry coke products having a hydraulic diameter of at least 3.5″, egg coke products having a hydraulic diameter of 1.5-3.5″, and breeze coke products having a hydraulic diameter of 0.5-1.5″. Individual foundry coke products can comprise an oblong shape including a length of at least 4″, a width of at least 1.5″, and a length:width ratio of at least 2.0. In some embodiments, the length of individual coke products can be between 6-12″ and the width can be at least 2.5″. Additionally, the foundry coke products can have a Coke Reactivity Index (CRI) of at least 40%. The coke products can be made from a blend of coal and breeze coke products in horizontal ovens, such as horizontal heat recovery or horizontal non-recovery ovens.

Coke products configured to be combusted in a cupola furnace are disclosed herein. The coke products can include foundry coke products having a hydraulic diameter of at least 3.5″, egg coke products having a hydraulic diameter of 1.5-3.5″, and breeze coke products having a hydraulic diameter of 0.5-1.5″. Individual foundry coke products can comprise an oblong shape including a length of at least 4″, a width of at least 1.5″, and a length:width ratio of at least 2.0. In some embodiments, the length of individual coke products can be between 6-12″ and the width can be at least 2.5″. Additionally, the foundry coke products can have a Coke Reactivity Index (CRI) of at least 40%. The coke products can be made from a blend of coal and breeze coke products in horizontal ovens, such as horizontal heat recovery or horizontal non-recovery ovens.

In a ferrocoke manufacturing method by shaping and carbonizing a mixture of coal and iron ore, a hardly softening coal having a button index (CSN) of not more than 2.0 is used as the coal. The coal can be a blend of hardly softening coal and easily softening coal, and the hardly softening coal can be a coal having a button index (CSN) of 1.0 and a volatile matter of not less than 17%, and the easily softening coal can be a coal satisfying that a value obtained by multiplying CSN of easily softening coal by a blending ratio of easily softening coal in all coals is a range of 0.3-5.2. The coal can also be a blend of hardly softening coal and easily softening coal, and the hardly softening coal can be a coal having a button index (CSN) of 1.5-2.0, and the easily softening coal can be a coal satisfying that a value obtained by multiplying CSN of easily softening coal by a blending ratio of easily softening coal in all coals is nit more than 5.0.

In a ferrocoke manufacturing method by shaping and carbonizing a mixture of coal and iron ore, a hardly softening coal having a button index (CSN) of not more than 2.0 is used as the coal. The coal can be a blend of hardly softening coal and easily softening coal, and the hardly softening coal can be a coal having a button index (CSN) of 1.0 and a volatile matter of not less than 17%, and the easily softening coal can be a coal satisfying that a value obtained by multiplying CSN of easily softening coal by a blending ratio of easily softening coal in all coals is a range of 0.3-5.2. The coal can also be a blend of hardly softening coal and easily softening coal, and the hardly softening coal can be a coal having a button index (CSN) of 1.5-2.0, and the easily softening coal can be a coal satisfying that a value obtained by multiplying CSN of easily softening coal by a blending ratio of easily softening coal in all coals is nit more than 5.0.