Coaltech Research Association

Beneficiation of weathered ultra-fine discard with an advanced High internal phase water-in-oil technique

Laboratory flotation test work on five weathered discard samples, comparing an emulsion binder with kerosene and optimising dosage and agitation speed. For plants looking at fine discard dumps.

Wits/Coaltech | February 2022

What this report found

A high internal phase water in oil emulsion binder upgraded weathered ultra fine coal discard. At 5 kg/ton on a feed of 29.34 per cent ash and 20.94 MJ/kg, flotation gave a clean coal of 11.76 per cent ash and 28.61 MJ/kg at 15.61 per cent mass yield. Calorific value rose with agitation speed and fell with binder dosage.

R1500,00

Description

Continuous use of mechanised mining and the convectional beneficiation of South Africa’s run of mine coal has led to over one billion five hundred million tons of fine discard coal (-1 mm) stored/dumped in South Africa (Department of Energy, 2001). This study was carried out using HIP W/O technique, known as advanced high internal phase water-in-oil emulsion binder. The as-received weathered discards coal comprised of fixed carbon content ranging from 17.79% to 43.29%, with calorific values ranging from 8.48 MJ/kg to 20.94 MJ/kg. The ash content of the coal feeds ranged from 28.63% to 48.71%. In this research, the HIP W/O emulsion approach was established as an alternative approach to upgrade weathered discard coal dumped for over three decades and achieved better quality product compared to kerosene. The produced clean coal products can be used directly for combustion and co-combustion solid fuels in power generation.

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