Abstract
The present study investigates the moisture content and granulometric composition of special coke produced from Shubarkol coal before and after rotary drum drying under industrial conditions. The initial moisture content was determined from samples collected on the conveyor belt prior to entering the rotary drum dryer and after drying, taking into account the return of aspiration dust. It was established that the initial moisture content of special coke ranges from 13.3 to 13.7%, indicating stable material quality. After rotary drum drying, the moisture content decreases to 4.1–5.5%, corresponding to an approximately threefold reduction. Dry sieve analysis showed that the drying process is accompanied by significant redistribution of the particle size distribution and an increase in the proportion of fine and dust fractions due to mechanical impacts inside the drum. The content of particles smaller than 1 mm increases to 17–20%, while the dust fraction (–0.5 mm) reaches 8–12%. Additionally, aspiration dust was found to have low moisture content (~1%), and its return to the dried material stream does not significantly affect the overall moisture level. The obtained results can be used to optimize rotary drum drying regimes and reduce dust formation in metallurgical processes.