Petroleum coke

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Petroleum coke (often abbreviated pet coke) is a carbonaceous solid derived from oil refinery cracking processes.

Marketable coke is coke that is relatively pure carbon and can be sold for use as fuel, in the manufacture of dry cells, electrodes, etc. Needle coke, also called acicular coke, is a highly crystalline petroleum coke used in the production of electrodes for the steel and aluminum industries. Catalyst coke is coke that has deposited on the catalysts used in oil refining, such as those in a catalytic cracker. This coke is impure and is only used for fuel.

Its high heat and low ash make it a good fuel for power generation in coal fired boilers, but petroleum coke is high in sulphur and low in volatile content which pose some environmental and technical problems with its combustion. In order to meet current North American emissions standards some form of sulphur capture is required. Fluidized bed combustion is commonly used to burn petroleum coke.