Cokemaking Committee Activities

The CMTC met 1–2 October 2024, Nashville, Tenn., USA.

The CMTC convened in Nashville, Tenn., USA, with chair Scott Pisula delivering the opening remarks. The meeting agenda included discussion of the latest Steel Industry Fatalities statistics, AISTech 2025 session development, workforce development, and the election of a new vice chair, Hardie Burgan of Chiz Bros. 

Presentations

  • “6-Meter Battery CS Frame Replacement,” by Dave Johnson, U. S. Steel – Mon Valley Works Clairton Plant.
  • “Integrating Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning With Predictive Maintenance Data for Strategic Planning,” by Buddy Lee, MESA.
  • “The Manufacturing of Coke Oven Castings,” by Mark Fields, Glidewell Specialties Foundry Co.
  • “EPA MACT Standard Update,” by Mike Dzurinko, U. S. Steel – Mon Valley Works Clairton Plant.

The meeting concluded with a tour of Saturn Machine & Welding Co., which provided insight into the final steps of construction of a new coke oven battery door cleaner.

The CMTC enjoyed a tour of Saturn Machine & Welding Co. during their October 2024 meeting.

The CMTC and IMTC met jointly 1 February 2024, Pittsburgh, Pa., USA.
The Ironmaking and Cokemaking Technology Committees met on Thursday, 1 February 2024, in Pittsburgh, Pa., USA, before the Eastern States Blast Furnace and Coke Oven Association meeting.
The group had a great turnout with many technical presentations. After discussing committee business related to AISTech sessions, roundups for both committees, and safety statistics, they had six presentations.
Aram Hermiz gave a review of the recent AIST Cokemaking Study Tour to Japan. Brenda Petrilena gave an overview of the regional clean hydrogen hubs recently announced by the U.S. Department of Energy. Ty Okosun discussed hydrogen use in the iron and steel industry with a focus on blast furnaces. Steve Woodard and Jami Patrick discussed carbon capture technologies and environmental justice respectively. Finally, Joe Morey reviewed a possible future for blast furnace ironmaking.

The CMTC met 8 May 2023, Detroit, MI, USA.

The following officers were elected:

  • Chair: Scott Pisula - U. S. Steel – Mon Valley Works, Clairton Plant

  • Vice Chair: Deke Perkins - Montrose Environmental Group Inc.

  • Papers Chair: Steven McKnight - U. S. Steel – Mon Valley Works, Clairton Plant

  • Young Professional Chair: James Jackson - R.T. Patterson Co.

  • Roundup Co-Chairs: James Hosfield - U. S. Steel – Mon Valley Works, Clairton Plant, and David Ison  »  MIG Refractory Products & Services

  • Study Tour Chair: Dick Randolph - Fosbel Inc.

  • Digitalization Liaison: Buddy Lee - Mesa Associates Inc.

Deke Perkins (left) presented Scott Pisula (right) with the CMTC service plaque.

The CMTC and IMTC met jointly Thursday, 2 February 2023, Coraopolis, Pa., USA

The Cokemaking and Ironmaking Technology Committees convened for a joint meeting before the Eastern States Blast Furnace and Coke Oven Association’s winter meeting in Pittsburgh, Pa., USA.
Both committees began with reviewing their session layouts for AISTech 2023, committee officer nominations for the 2023–2024 term and upcoming committee Roundups. The group then held a discussion around safety and the latest AIST Steel Industry Fatalities Report.
Jeff Mason gave a recap of the 2022 AIST Leadership Conference and David Marshall presented an update from the AIST Decarbonization Task Force. To cap off the meeting, the two committees held a brainstorming session on the decarbonization challenges of the North American iron and steel industry. The committees’ feedback will aid AIST’s ongoing development of a Decarbonization Roadmap for Iron and Steel Manufacturing funded through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology Roadmap Program.

The Cokemaking and Ironmaking Technology Committees held a decarbonization brainstorming session at their joint meeting on 2 February 2023 (left to right): Megha Jampani, Hatch; IMTC chair Kyle Ferron, ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P.; and IMTC vice chair Joe Morey, U. S. Steel – Gary Works.

The CMTC met 7–8 November 2022, Pittsburgh, Pa., USA

The CMTC meeting was held in conjunction with the MetCoke World Summit. CMTC members toured the U. S. Steel – Mon Valley Works, Clairton Plant on 7 November, followed by a business meeting the next day.
The Steel Industry Fatalities Report was discussed, leading into a roundtable discussion on safety. The committee talked about falls and equipment collisions as two of the most common reasons for fatalities and recordables.
There is currently one cokemaking session scheduled for AISTech 2023 and one joint session with topics related to decarbonization and ironmaking. Session chair volunteers were solicited. The
AISTech 2024 Call for Papers text was reviewed and approved with no changes.
The CMTC then nominated officers for the next term. The committee moved on to discuss the 2023 Joseph S. Kapitan – Cokemaking Best Paper Award and the Joseph Becker Award. A winner will be selected out of nine candidates this year.
The committee then reviewed its Industry Roundups and discussed upcoming Technology Training Conferences.
A roundtable discussion was held on the following topics:

  • Coke market health: Short- and long-term projections.

  • Environmental improvement/enhancement projects.

  • Safety enhancement/hazard elimination projects.

  • Productivity/efficiency gains.

The Japan Study Tour was discussed, which will tentatively be held this fall. Possible sites include JFE Steel, Mitsubishi Kasei and Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. The members are also interested in visiting a facility with SCOPE21 and coal moisture control.

Presentations:

  • “Global Coke Market,” by Kevin Karazsia, Trafigura.

  • “Using Technology for Heat Stress Prevention,” by Brandan Murdock, U. S. Steel – Mon Valley Works, Clairton Plant.

  • “UCA New Impact Idlers (Slider),” by John Fretz, U. S. Steel – Mon Valley Works, Clairton Plant.

  • “Effective and Economical Utilization of H2S and H2 From COG,” by Umalan Gogilan, DMT GmbH & Co. KG.

  • “An Overview on SMS/Paul Wurth Enhanced Environmental Solutions for Cokemaking,” by Thiago Mazzeu, SMS group Inc.

Jose Alfaro (right) presented a plaque of appreciation to Scott Pisula (left) for hosting the CMTC’s tour of U. S. Steel – Mon Valley Works, Clairton Plant.

The CMTC met 16 May 2022, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

 The following officers were elected:

  • Chair: Scott Pisula  /  U. S. Steel – Mon Valley Works

  • Vice Chair: Deke Perkins  /  Montrose Environmental Group Inc.

  • Papers Chair: Steven McKnight  /  United States Steel Corporation

  • Young Professional Chair: Jim Jackson  /  R.T. Patterson Co.

  • Roundup Chair: James Hosfield  /  U. S. Steel – Mon Valley Works, Clairton Plant

  • Study Tour Chair: Richard Randolph  /  Fosbel

The CMTC and IMTC met jointly 3 February 2022, virtual meeting

The IMTC and CMTC held a joint virtual meeting via Zoom. The joint meeting was of interest as the technical portion of the meeting focused on decarbonization of their respective processes and their collaborative efforts in operations.
The meeting started out with a welcome from IMTC chair Nancy Armstrong, CMTC chair Jodi Kesik and IMTC vice chair Kyle Ferron. The committees then held discussions on AISTech session building, award planning and nominations for officers for next year.
The bulk of the meeting was a collaborative effort pulled together by David Marshall and Felix Firsbach on the topic of decarbonization. Marshall gave an overview on the efforts of the Decarbonization Subcommittee.

Presentations:

  • “Merits of Coke Dry Quenching System,” by Shu Hiranuma, Nippon Steel Engineering.

  • “Biomass Pyrolysis and Torrefaction,” by Randy Hagenbeek, TorrCoal.

  • “Decarbonization,” by Wim Van der Stricht, Arcelor­Mittal Europe.

The group then moved on to a roundtable discussion. Kesik described the coke oven restoration project happening at Arcelor­Mittal Dofasco. Van der Stricht answered questions on biomass transition technology for use in the blast furnace. Hagenbeek discussed the regional challenges of pyrolysis and Hiranuma answered some questions on alternative technologies to dry quenching. Finally, the committees discussed safety protocols and impacts of COVID-19 in the mill environment.

The CMTC met 25 October 2021, virtual meeting

CMTC chair Jodi Kesik gave opening remarks and provided a market update. She mentioned that the hot-rolled coil (HRC) spot price had peaked, which is a good indicator for the industry. Pricing has just started to come down, but the momentum will continue into 2022. There is still a gap between HRC price and raw material prices according to official data. She also noted the increasing pressure on decarbonizing the steel industry.
The committee then discussed having a representative from the CMTC on the AIST Decarbonization Subcommittee. Shiju Thomas volunteered to be on the Decarbonization Core Team.
The CMTC then reviewed the 2021 Steel Industry Fatalities report.
Papers chair Deke Perkins provided an update on the AISTech 2022 abstracts and sessions. Currently the committee has five abstracts. It is also planning to organize a joint session with the Ironmaking Technology Committee.
The committee then reviewed its AISTech Call for Papers text. It was suggested to add “decarbonization initiatives” to the text. Following that, the committee discussed Technology Committee Awards.
Roundup chairs Dale Nugent and James Hosfield discussed the Coke Oven Battery Roundup and Cokemaking Byproducts Roundup.
The committee then reviewed AIST’s upcoming Technology Training Conferences.
Digital Transformation Subcommittee liaison James Jackson provided and update from the subcommittee.
Study Tour chair Dick Randolph gave an update on the Cokemaking Japan Study Tour, which will tentatively be held in October or November 2022.
Presentations:

  • “Use of Biocarbon in the Steel Sector,” by Ted Todoschuk and Graeme Scott, ArcelorMittal.

  • “Coke Dry Quenching or CDQ Technology as an Option for Greener Steel Industry,” by Shu Hiranuma, Nippon Steel Engineering Co. Ltd.

  • “Screening Station Operations: Dust Control,” by Chuck Gourn, United States Steel Corporation.

The CMTC met 29 June 2021, Nasarmhville, TN USA

The following officers were elected:

  • Chair: Jodi Kesik, ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P.

  • Vice Chair: Scott Pisula, U. S. Steel – Mon Valley Works

  • Papers Chair: Deke Perkins, Montrose Environmental Group Inc.

  • Roundup Co-Chairs: Dale Nugent, Maintenance and Repair Technologies, and James Hosfield, U. S. Steel – Mon Valley Works, Clairton Plant

  • Digital Transformation Liaison: James Jackson, JNE Consulting

  • Study Tour Chair: Richard Randolph, Fosbel

Matt Kraeuter (right) presented the CMTC service plaque to Shiju Thomas (left) at AISTech 2021.

The CMTC held a virtual meeting 16 February 2021.

CMTC chair Shiju Thomas began the meeting with a discussion of the current peak in steel prices and the state of the global steel industry.
The committee then went on to discuss the AIST Steel Industry Fatalities Report followed by a roundtable safety discussion.
Papers chair Solomon Nyathi reviewed the CMTC’s two technical sessions for AISTech 2021, and requested volunteers for session chairs. The CMTC then solicited nominations for its 2021–2022 committee officers.
The committee announced the winners of the 2021 Joseph Becker Award and 2021 Josef S. Kapitan Award – Cokemaking. The awards will be presented at AISTech 2021 in Nashville, Tenn., USA.
Study Tour chair Dick Randolph provided an update on the proposed Japan Cokemaking Study Tour in partnership with the Iron and Steel Institute of Japan (ISIJ). The ISIJ has offered to host the group in September 2021. The tour may be postponed to 2022 due to ongoing pandemic-related travel restrictions.
Roundup co-chairs Jodi Kesik and Mo Elbeitam reported on the 2021 Coke Oven Battery Roundup and 2021 Cokemaking Byproducts Roundup, which were published in the March 2021 issue of Iron & Steel Technology.
The committee then discussed the status of cokemaking-related seminars and conferences. The February 2021 Eastern States Blast Furnace and Coke Oven Conference was canceled, and the 2021 McMaster University Cokemaking Course has been postponed to May 2023. The McMaster University Blast Furnace Ironmaking Course will be held in May 2022.
Jodi Kesik provided an update on the AIST Digital Transformation Subcommittee’s quarterly meeting. Various cokemaking digitalization technologies were discussed.
The group then heard from Dale Nugent and Nancy Armstrong about the latest activities of the AIST Young Professional Recruitment Subcommittee. While there had been limited activities in 2020 due to the global pandemic, there are several Young Professional–focused events planned for 2021.
Presentations:

  • “The Effects of Heat Loss of Blast Furnace on Its Coke Rate,” by Frank Huang, ArcelorMittal Global R&D East Chicago.

  • “USS Clairton Coke Works Pilot Coke Oven,” by Steve McKnight, U. S. Steel – Mon Valley Works, Clairton Plant.

  • “RPR SL Application for the Treatment of Microcracks in the Refractory Lining of Coke Ovens,” by Matthieu Leheut, FIB Services International.

The CMTC held a virtual meeting 27 October 2020.

CMTC chair Shiju Thomas gave a few opening remarks and spoke about the current market conditions, along with the impact of COVID-19. A few attendees discussed regional conditions.
The CMTC discussed strategies to encourage more authors to submit papers for AISTech 2021. As of the meeting, 11 abstracts had been submitted. Out of the cokemaking papers that were submitted for AISTech 2020, four authors resubmitted their papers for AISTech 2021. The CMTC then solicited volunteers for session chair.
The Iron and Steel Institute of Japan has requested the Cokemaking Study Tour to be placed on hold until at least September 2021.
The committee moved on to discuss the Cokemaking Byproducts and Coke Oven Battery Roundups. Roundup chair Jodi Kesik stated she still has difficulties gathering quality data from the coke plants to expand the scope of reporting for the roundups.
The AIST Process Benchmarker® was discussed. Jodi Kesik and Shiju Thomas will work together on drafting a process benchmarking survey to be submitted separately.
Technology Committee Award planning was discussed by Hardarshan Valia. The CMTC has completed the selection process and the winner will be announced at AISTech 2021.
The CMTC then discussed the Steel Industry Fatalities report.
Presentations:

  • Steve McKnight, U. S. Steel – Mon Valley Works, Clairton Coke Plant, “6M Battery Coke Moisture Reduction and Benefits.”

  • Ethan Anderson, U. S. Steel – Mon Valley Works, Clairton Coke Plant, “Combustion Stack Compliance.”

  • Brendan Murdock, U. S. Steel – Mon Valley Works, Clairton Coke Plant, “COVID Response.”

The CMTC held a virtual meeting 7 May 2020.

The CMTC meeting began with chair Shiju Thomas presenting the Josef S. Kapitan Award – Cokemaking for the best cokemaking paper for 2020.
The following committee officers for the 2020–2021 term were elected:

  • Chair: Shiju Thomas, United States Steel Corporation.

  • Vice chair: Jodi Kesik, ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P.

  • Papers chair: Solomon Nyathi, ArcelorMittal.

  • Young Professional chair: Dale Nugent, Furnace Power Technologies.

  • Roundup co-chairs: Mo Elbeitam, DTE Energy, and Jodi Kesik, ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P.

  • Study Tour chair: Dick Randolph, Fosbel Inc.

The committee then discussed the relationship between producers and academia in the cokemaking area and the need for more papers and research in North America.
Dick Randolph reviewed the Japan Cokemaking Study Tour, which was originally scheduled for 23–29 September 2020. The Iron and Steel Institute of Japan (ISIJ), who is working in partnership with the CMTC to organize the tour, has requested that the tour be postponed to 2021. The group then discussed Japanese facilities that the study tour group would like to visit.

The CMTC met 6 February 2020, Coraopolis, Pa., USA.

Shiju Thomas, CMTC chair, opened the meeting and noted the following: coke plants are working toward new technologies for alternative energy with more environmentally friendly technologies; coal prices in general are down, making it harder for mining companies to compete; and steel price increases in some sectors appear to be holding.
Solomon Nyathi, papers chair, discussed the CMTC’s AISTech 2020 technical sessions. The committee has 15 papers grouped into three sessions. The papers are from authors in North America, China, Japan and India.
CMTC officers were nominated for the 2020–2021 term.
Jodi Kesik, CMTC vice chair and Roundup co-chair, stated she had problems gathering quality data from the coke plants to expand the scope of the committee’s two roundups.
The Japan Cokemaking Study Tour is set for 23–29 September 2020. AIST has not yet received a tour schedule from the Iron and Steel Institute of Japan with confirmed plants.
Kesik then gave an update on the AIST Digital Transformation Subcommittee. She stated the subcommittee is working on automation and digitalization, smart sensors and cloud-based simulation, etc.
Presentations:

  • Scott Pisula of U. S. Steel – Mon Valley Works, Clairton Plant, presented “#15 Battery Hot Idle Overview.”

  • Jeff Anderson of U. S. Steel – Mon Valley Works, Clairton Plant, presented “Coal and Coal Oxidation.”