Semi-coke introduces multiple new performance indicators, driving value-based competition in the industry.

Precise Reflection of Market Conditions and Enhanced Reference for Market Participants: Semi-Coke Product Specifications Effective December 30, 2025

To accurately reflect market conditions and facilitate reference and application by market participants, the Chinese semi-coke market will adopt the following statistical specifications for semi-coke products effective December 30, 2025. Please refer to the detailed table below:

Semi-Coke Specifications

1. Background and Significance of the New Indicators

For a long time, the semi-coke indicator system has struggled to comprehensively align with the practical application needs in industries such as steel, calcium carbide, and ferroalloys. This misalignment has led to pronounced product homogenization and pricing deviations in market transactions. To break away from homogeneous competition, highlight the performance characteristics of semi-coke from different origins and manufacturers, and better serve downstream enterprises in purchasing semi-coke based on scientific metrics, this update introduces several new performance and key compositional indicators.

These new indicators fully account for industrial application variances in critical performance parameters such as grindability, mechanical strength, hot strength, specific electrical resistivity, and phosphorus content. They will assist downstream users in more precisely matching production requirements, thereby enhancing procurement efficiency and utilization benefits.

This indicator adjustment not only solidifies the foundation for differentiated pricing of semi-coke products but also propels the market's evolution from traditional, singular price competition towards a healthier development paradigm that equally emphasizes quality and performance. This is of significant importance for promoting synergistic upgrades across the industrial chain.

Moving forward, these new indicators will be progressively expanded to other semi-coke origin varieties, aiming to gradually build a comprehensive performance indicator system covering all regions and product types. This will establish a standardized, traceable data support network. By continuously refining the indicator dimensions, we aim to facilitate the market's transition from extensive trading to refined management, providing more suitable raw material selection criteria for industries like steel, ferroalloys, and calcium carbide, thereby further enhancing the stability and resilience of the industrial and supply chains.

2. Interpretation of the New Indicators

2.1 New Indicator for Powdered Products: HGI (Hardgrove Grindability Index)

A key new indicator for powdered products is HGI, which measures the ease of grinding semi-coke. A higher index value indicates that the semi-coke is easier to pulverize. The introduction of this indicator will help steel enterprises more accurately assess the suitability of semi-coke for blast furnace injection processes, effectively reducing production energy consumption and equipment wear.

2.2 New Indicators for Small-Grade Products

For small-grade products, new testing indicators include Mechanical Strength (M10), Hot Strength (TS10), Specific Electrical Resistivity at Room Temperature (ρ), Specific Electrical Resistivity at 1350°C (ρ1350), and Phosphorus Content (Air-Dried Basis, P_ad).

• New Indicator 1: [Mechanical Strength M10]

Characterizes the degree of pulverization of semi-coke during storage, transportation, batching, and charging. Higher mechanical strength typically leads to higher semi-coke utilization and less impact on burden layer permeability.

• New Indicator 2: [Hot Strength TS10]

Characterizes the degree of particle size degradation of semi-coke under high temperatures, subjected to forces like compression and friction during its downward movement within the charge column of a submerged arc furnace. Higher hot strength results in lower particle degradation and fewer collapses attributed to semi-coke.

• New Indicators 3 & 4: [Specific Electrical Resistivity at Room Temperature (ρ) & at 1350°C (ρ1350)]

These are key parameters characterizing the electrical conductivity of semi-coke, directly influencing current distribution and energy consumption within the submerged arc furnace. Higher resistivity is more conducive to stable deep electrode penetration and lower specific power consumption. ρ1350 reflects the resistivity characteristics of the reductant in the high-temperature zone.

• New Indicator 5: [Phosphorus Content (Air-Dried Basis, P_ad)]

Characterizes the mass fraction of phosphorus in semi-coke on an air-dried basis. It is a core impurity indicator affecting product quality. Lower phosphorus content minimizes phosphorus contamination during smelting, which is crucial in the production of products like nickel iron, ferrosilicon, and calcium carbide.

2.3 New Indicators for Medium-Grade Products

For medium-grade products, new indicators include Mechanical Strength (M25) and Phosphorus Content (Air-Dried Basis, P_ad).

• New Indicator 1: [Medium-Grade Mechanical Strength M25]

Characterizes the resistance to breakage of medium-grade material during transportation, storage, and furnace charging. A higher M25 value enhances the material's ability to maintain particle size before entering the furnace, effectively reducing the powdering rate, improving burden permeability, and decreasing the frequency of collapses.

• New Indicator 2: [Phosphorus Content (Air-Dried Basis, P_ad)]

Characterizes the mass fraction of phosphorus in medium-grade semi-coke on an air-dried basis. It is a key impurity indicator affecting product quality. Lower phosphorus content minimizes product contamination during smelting, which is particularly important in the production of high-carbon ferrochrome, calcium carbide, and siliconanganese.

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