FINE COAL CLEANING

PHASE I OF THIS PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE THE TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY OF A NOVEL METHOD FOR EXTENDING THE RANGE OF APPLICABILITY OF DRY MAGNETIC SEPARATION TO PARTICLES OF FINE SIZE THAT ARE FEEBLY MAGNETIC. IN THIS PROJECT AN APPARATUS WILL BE CONSTRUCTED AND USED TO PROCESS FINE COAL OF HIGH PYRITIC SULFUR CONTENT IN A SEMI-CONTINUOUS MODE TO TEST THE NOVEL APPROACH TO MAGNETIC SEPARATION. THE USE OF DRY MAGNETIC METHODS IN CLEANING OF COAL IS OF INTEREST BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR EFFICIENT SEPARATION OF PYRITICSULFUR BY A SAFE, ENVIRONMENTALLY ACCEPTABLE, INEXPENSIVE PROCESS. IN WORK ALREADY COMPLETED, APPLICATION OF THE METHOD IN A VARIETY OF IMPORTANT APPLICATIONS HAS PRODUCED SIGNIFICANT NEW RESULTS: (1) A VERY PURE ALUMINO-SILICATE MINERAL (ANORTHITE) HAS BEEN SEPARATED FROM A MINNESOTA ANORTHOSITE BY THE METHOD; (2) HIGHLY UNIQUE IRON-BEARING, GLASSY AGGLUTINATES NOT FOUND IN THE TERRESTRIAL ENVIRONMENTHAVE BEEN SEPARATED FROM A FINE LUNAR SOIL COLLECTED IN THE APOLLO 16 LUNAR MISSION; AND (3) IN APPLICATION TO RELATIVELY COARSE FRACTIONS OF RAW NORTHERN APPALACHIAN COALS, THE METHOD HAS PROCUCED CLEAN COALS WITH 3 TO 4% ASH AND NOMINALLY 1% TOTAL SULFUR.