Specialists of ULKE Individual Enterprise and State Enterprise “Turkmendemironumlery” of the Ministry of Industry completed unique experiment. This was the first time when artificial graphite was made out of petroleum coke produced by Turkmenbashy Refinery Complex. The technology is based on the method developed by A. Acheson in 1896 heating up the coke in the furnace.
Special power transformer capable to work on 5000A and deliver it to the furnace was used at metallurgical works in Ovadandepe. The construction of the experimental unit, the Acheson furnaces, which allow heating up petroleum coke in the vacuum up to 3000 degrees C, was made from local materials.
Pilot unit made the first production in the end of the last year. According to the laboratory calculations, the samples of minerals extracted from the furnace entirely matched artificial graphite by physical characteristics. Comparative analysis of received samples with master electrode was done what also proved the purity of the product.
The specialists of ULKE Individual Enterprise analysed the information and made calculations, which allowed estimating the efficiency of graphite and graphite items production. Besides, the production of heat-resistance materials as an associated product opens opportunity of making heating units of different purposes.
Based on the received data, the authors of the experiment prepared technical and commercial proposal of establishment of joint venture together with branch ministries.The entrepreneurs developed business model of high technology plant for production up to 40 thousand tons of artificial graphite and graphite based items like graphitic electrodes, blocks, lubricants, heat resistant and other materials per year.
Local material, the tempered petroleum coke produced by Turkmenbashy Refinery Complex and electrical energy, are proposed to use as a material base.
Artificial graphite is a unique material, which advantages like electrical and thermal conductivity, resistance to aggressive environment and temperature, high lubricating ability, chemical passivity make it irreplaceable in many fields of science and technology.
Carbon graphite electrodes are used in aluminium, chemical, steel-smelting and other branches of industry. They are applied in production of ferrous alloys, non-ferrous metals, artificial abrasives, calcium carbide, phosphorus, chlorine, caustic soda and other.
Carbon materials are used in construction of different types of furnaces. They are applied in nuclear reactors and carbon mass and layers in self-baking electrodes. New modifications of carbon like nanocarbon systems including fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, nanofibres, etc, were synthesized and intensively used in recent decades.
Organization of production of artificial graphite and graphite items from petroleum coke will promote implementation of large-scale objectives on production of import substitutive items and increase of export capabilities of the country.
The development of perspective industrial line is aimed at active promotion of the range of graphite products to the world market what will provide the income of foreign currency.