Determination of granulometric composition of technogenic raw materials for producing composite fuel

To determine the granulometric composition of technogenic raw materials for agglomeration by the adhesive-chemical method. This approach allows for determining the optimal particle size distribution for obtaining the prepared agglomerated fuel, which has the form of cylindrical rods with a diameter of 30 mm and a length of 50–200 mm. The granulometric composition of technogenic raw materials was determined using sieve and sedimentation analyses. 38 representative samples of carbon-containing raw materials were subjected to the investigation. The sieve analysis results of representative samples of coal sludge and culms are presented; their graphical characteristics is given. Sieve analysis of the granulometric composition of samples of carbon-containing raw materials and sedimentation analysis of solid fuel samples with a fraction of fewer than 50 microns is carried out. It has been established that all samples with sizes of more than 5–6 mm should be subjected to further grinding.Ukraine’s energy sector needs commercial coal from 19 to 21 million tons annually. At the same time, in 2020, coal production amounted to 28.82 million tons. This is less than in 2019 by 2,406.3 thousand tons or 7.7 %. The production of thermal coal decreased by 3,057.8 thousand tons or 12.3 %. Natural gas also produced less than 501.2 million m3 (or 2.4 %) compared to 2019 and amounted to a total of 20,233.9 million m3 [1]. Tens of billions of hryvnias are spent annually on coal imports. Because of the above mentioned, one of the promising ways in the context of sustainable development of Ukraine is to ensure energy independence [2, 3], which will certainly contribute to the development of innovative energy-saving systems [4]