Source: Economic Times
Context: The government permitted the import of Needle pet coke for making graphite anode material for lithium-ion batteries as a feedstock and not for any other purposes.
- Import of pet coke for fuel purposes is completely banned.
However, the sulphur content in the NPC should be less than 0.8 per cent, which would be monitored by state pollution control boards.
About Pet Coke:
Petroleum coke (pet coke) is a carbon-rich solid material derived from the final cracking process, a thermo-based chemical engineering process that splits long-chain hydrocarbons of petroleum into shorter chains. As the world’s largest consumer of pet coke, India imports over half its annual petcoke consumption, mainly from the USA.
About Needle Pet Coke:
Needle pet Coke differs from regular petroleum Coke in its unique physical and chemical properties. It is called “needle” coke because of its needle-like structure, which is formed during the refining process. This structure gives it certain advantageous properties that make it suitable for specific applications.
- One of the primary uses of needle pet coke is in the production of graphite electrodes used in electric arc furnaces for steelmaking. The needle-like structure of NPC provides excellent electrical conductivity and high strength, making it ideal for manufacturing high-quality electrodes. These electrodes are crucial for the efficient melting and refining of steel.
- Needle pet coke is also used in other applications that require high-performance carbon materials, such as in the production of lithium-ion batteries, aerospace components, and certain carbon products used in the chemical industry.
The harmful effect of Pet Coke:
Pet coke combustion emits significant amounts of greenhouse gases and air pollutants, including sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter. Pet Coke has a high carbon content and a low energy value compared to other fossil fuels.
